Chronic treatment with Ang-(1-7) reverses abnormal reactivity in the corpus cavernosum and normalizes diabetes-induced changes in the protein levels of ACE, ACE2, ROCK1, ROCK2 and omega-hydroxylase in a rat model of type 1 diabetes

J Diabetes Res. 2014:2014:142154. doi: 10.1155/2014/142154. Epub 2014 Sep 16.

Abstract

Angiotensin-(1-7) [Ang-(1-7)] may have beneficial effects in diabetes mellitus-induced erectile dysfunction (DMIED) but its molecular actions in the diabetic corpus cavernosum (CC) are not known. We characterized the effects of diabetes and/or chronic in vivo administration of Ang-(1-7) on vascular reactivity in the rat corpus cavernosum (CC) and on protein expression levels of potential downstream effectors of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) such as angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), ACE2, Rho kinases 1 and 2 (ROCK1 and ROCK2), and omega-hydroxylase, the cytochrome-P450 enzyme that metabolizes arachidonic acid to form the vasoconstrictor, 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid. Streptozotocin-treated rats were chronicically administered Ang-(1-7) with or without A779, a Mas receptor antagonist, during weeks 4 to 6 of diabetes. Ang-(1-7) reversed diabetes-induced abnormal reactivity to vasoactive agents (endothelin-1, phenylepherine, and carbachol) in the CC without correcting hyperglycemia. Six weeks of diabetes led to elevated ACE, ROCK1, ROCK 2, and omega-hydroxylase and a concomitant decrease in ACE2 protein expression levels that were normalized by Ang-(1-7) treatment but not upon coadministration of A779. These data are supportive of the notion that the beneficial effects of Ang-(1-7) in DMIED involve counterregulation of diabetes-induced changes in ACE, ACE2, Rho kinases, and omega-hydroxylase proteins in the diabetic CC via a Mas receptor-dependent mechanism.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Angiotensin I / therapeutic use*
  • Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2
  • Animals
  • Blood Glucose / analysis
  • Body Weight
  • Cytochrome P-450 CYP4A / metabolism*
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / drug therapy
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / drug therapy*
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Erectile Dysfunction / drug therapy
  • Male
  • Penis / drug effects*
  • Peptide Fragments / therapeutic use*
  • Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A / metabolism*
  • Proto-Oncogene Mas
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / metabolism
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / metabolism
  • Streptozocin
  • rho-Associated Kinases / metabolism*

Substances

  • Blood Glucose
  • Peptide Fragments
  • Proto-Oncogene Mas
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled
  • Streptozocin
  • Angiotensin I
  • Cytochrome P-450 CYP4A
  • ROCK1 protein, rat
  • ROCK2 protein, rat
  • rho-Associated Kinases
  • Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A
  • Ace2 protein, rat
  • Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2
  • angiotensin I (1-7)