Interaction between angiotensin II and Smad proteins in fibroblasts in failing heart and in vitro.
Angiotensin II (angiotensin) and transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta(1) play an important role in cardiac fibrosis. We examined Smad proteins in 8-wk post-myocardial infarction (MI) rat hearts. AT(1) blockade (losartan) attenuated the activation of TGF-beta(1) in target tissues. Losartan administration (8 wk, 15 mg. kg(-1). day(-1)) normalized total Smad 2 overexpression in infarct scar and remnant heart tissue and normalized Smad 4 in infarct scar. Phosphorylated Smad 2 (P-Smad 2) staining decreased in cytosol from failing heart vs. the control, which was normalized by losartan, suggesting augmented P-Smad 2 movement into nuclei in untreated failing hearts. Using adult primary rat fibroblasts treated with angiotensin (10(-6) M), we noted rapid translocation (15 min) of P-Smad 2 into the nuclei from the cytosol. Nuclear P-Smad 2 protein level increased with angiotensin treatment, which was blocked by losartan. We conclude that angiotensin may influence total Smad 2 and 4 expression in post-MI heart failure and that angiotensin treatment is associated with rapid P-Smad 2 nuclear translocation in isolated fibroblasts. This study suggests that cross talk between angiotensin and Smad signaling is associated with fibrotic events in post-MI hearts.[1]References
- Interaction between angiotensin II and Smad proteins in fibroblasts in failing heart and in vitro. Hao, J., Wang, B., Jones, S.C., Jassal, D.S., Dixon, I.M. Am. J. Physiol. Heart Circ. Physiol. (2000) [Pubmed]
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