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Chronic angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition up-regulates mouse kidney growth arrest specific-6 protein and the AXL subfamily of receptor tyrosine kinases

Department of Pharmacology, National University of Singapore, Singapore

Wendy Chen-Nee Chua

Department of Pharmacology, National University of Singapore, Singapore

Valerie Suk Peng Chew

Department of Pharmacology, National University of Singapore, Singapore

Peter Tsun Hon Wong

Department of Pharmacology, National University of Singapore, Singapore

Jian Lin Yin

Department of Renal Medicine, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, Australia

Brett Hambly

Department of Pathology, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia

Craig Steven McLachlan

Department of Pharmacology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, reperfusion{at}hotmail.com, Department of Medical Biosciences, University of Technology, Sydney, Australia

Introduction. Growth arrest specific-6 (GAS-6), a vitamin K-dependent protein, is a potential mediator in progressive and chronic renal disease, specifically as a mediator of abnormal mesangial cell proliferation. Nitric oxide and angiotensin II affect mesangial cell proliferation. However, an association between nitric oxide synthase or angiotensin II on GAS-6 expression in the kidney has not previously been examined. Thus, our aim was to examine the effects of antihypertensive angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and chronic nitric oxide synthase inhibition on the kidney expression of GAS-6 and its receptors AXL, MER and RSE.

Methods. Four groups of adult male C57BL/6J mice were studied: group 1, untreated controls (tap water for six weeks); group 2, treated orally with a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 0.325 mg/ml for six weeks); group 3, treated orally with captopril (0.6875 mg/ml for six weeks); group 4, co-treated orally with L-NAME and captopril (same doses for six weeks).At the end of the study, kidneys were placed in fixative and processed to paraffin for immunohistochemical staining.

Results. GAS-6 and its receptors were not present in control and L-NAME-treated mice. Positive GAS-6 staining was detectable only in those mice receiving some form of chronic dosing with captopril, whether they were treated with captopril only or with captopril and L-NAME. Immunohistochemical detection across cases for MER and RSE was rare, whereas AXL-positive staining in the kidney mirrored GAS-6 staining/expression.The staining of GAS6 and AXL was predominantly localised to the renal tubular cells.

Conclusions. These findings suggest that GAS-6 may not be a final common pathway for nitric oxide synthase inhibition-induced renal disease. Renal tubular GAS-6 expression following captopril treatment was unexpected and could be beneficial in preventing tubular atrophy following the onset of persistent systemic hypertension.

Key Words: AXL • captopril • growth arrest specific-6 • hypertension • kidney • nitric oxide synthase • N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester

Journal of Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System, Vol. 9, No. 4, 238-241 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/1470320308098342


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