Protein and gene expression of angiotensin II receptors (AT1 and AT2) in aorta of diabetic and hypertensive rats (1051.6)

Diabetes and hypertension have been associated with cardiovascular disease and stroke. Some reports have been related the coexistence of hypertension and diabetes with increases in the risk of developing vascular complications. Recently some studies have shown contradictory results suggesting that in early stages of diabetes and hypertension exist a reduced functional response to vasoconstrictor agents like angiotensin II (Ang II) which plays an important role in blood pressure regulation mechanism through the activation of its AT1 and AT2 receptors. For that reason, the aim of this work was to study the gene and protein expression of receptors AT1 and AT2 in aorta of diabetic SHR and WKY rats. Diabetes was induced by the administration of streptozotocin (60 mg/kg i.p.). After 4 weeks of the onset of diabetes the protein expression was obtained by western blot and the mRNA expression by RT-PCR. Our results showed that the hypertensive rats have a higher mRNA and protein expression of AT1receptors than nor...