Evidence for the importance of angiotensin II type 1 receptor in ischemia-induced angiogenesis

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Abstract

The role of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in angiogenesis is little known. Here, we show that the angiotensin II (ATII) type 1 (AT1) receptor plays an important role in ischemia-induced angiogenesis. Well-developed collateral vessels and angiogenesis were observed in wild-type (WT) mice in response to hindlimb ischemia, whereas these responses were reduced in ATII type 1a receptor knockout (AT1a–/–) mice. Ischemia-induced angiogenesis was also impaired in WT mice treated with the AT1 receptor blocker TCV-116. These effects were not due to reduced systemic blood pressure (SBP), because hydralazine treatment preserved angiogenesis in WT mice although it reduced SBP to a level similar to that of AT1a–/– mice. Infiltration of inflammatory mononuclear cells (MNCs), including macrophages and T lymphocytes, was suppressed in the ischemic tissues of AT1a–/– mice compared with WT mice. Double immunofluorescence staining revealed that infiltrated macrophages and T lymphocytes expressed VEGF, and the expression of VEGF and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 was also decreased in AT1a–/–. Finally, the impaired angiogenesis in AT1a–/– mice was rescued by intramuscular transplantation of MNCs obtained from WT mice, further indicating the importance of MNC infiltration in ischemia-induced angiogenesis. Thus, the ATII–AT1 receptor pathway promotes early angiogenesis by supporting inflammatory cell infiltration and angiogenic cytokine expression.

Authors

Ken-ichiro Sasaki, Toyoaki Murohara, Hisao Ikeda, Takeshi Sugaya, Toshifumi Shimada, Satoshi Shintani, Tsutomu Imaizumi