Expression and localization of the AT1 and AT2 angiotensin II receptors and α1A and α1D adrenergic receptors in aorta of hypertensive and diabetic rats

• Published in: Clinical and experimental hypertension (1993) Vol. 39; no. 1; pp. 85 - 92
• Main Authors: Rodríguez, Jessica Edith, Romero-Nava, Rodrigo, Reséndiz-Albor, Aldo Arturo, Rosales-Cruz, Erika, Hong, Enrique, Huang, Fengyang, Villafaña, Santiago
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis 02-01-2017; Taylor & Francis Group
• Subjects: Adrenergic receptors; angiotensin II receptors; hypertension; tunica intima; tunica media; type I diabetes; α1-adrenergic receptors
• ISSN: 1064-1963; 1525-6006
• DOI: 10.1080/10641963.2016.1200610

Hypertension and diabetes are multifactorial diseases that frequently coexist and exacerbate each another. During the development of diabetes, the impairment of noradrenergic and renin-angiotensin systems has been reported in the response mediated by α
1
-AR and AT
1
receptors. Although their participation in the development of cardiovascular complications is still controversial, some studies have found increased or diminished response to the vasoconstrictive effect of noradrenaline or angiotensin II in a time-dependent manner of diabetes. Thus, the aim of this work was to investigate the possible changes in the expression or localization of α
1
-AR (α
1A
and α
1D
) and angiotensin II receptors (AT
1
and AT
2
) in aorta of rats after 4 weeks of the onset of diabetes. In order to be able to examine the expression of these receptors, immunofluorescence procedure was performed in tunica intima and tunica media of histological sections of aorta. Fluorescence was detected by a confocal microscopy. Our results showed that the receptors are expressed in both tunics, where adrenergic receptors have a higher density in tunica intima and tunica media of SHR compared with WKY; meanwhile, the expression of angiotensin II receptors is not modified in both groups of rats. On the other hand, the results showed that diabetes produced an increase or a decrease in the expression of receptors that is not associated to a specific type of receptor, vascular region, or strain of rat. In conclusion, diabetes and hypertension modify the expression of the receptors in tunica intima and tunica media of aorta in a different way.