Angiotensin II-induced apoptosis in cultured adult rat ventricular myocytes

Angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced apoptosis was demonstrated for the first time in cultured adult rat ventricular myocytes (ARVMs) isolated by retrograde heart perfusion with Krebs-Henseleit bicarbonate (KHB) buffer containing collagenase and hyaluronidase. ARVMs incubated with 10 mumol/L Ang II for 48 h showed morphological features of apoptosis (cellular shrinkage, condensation of cytoplasm) and a characteristic "ladder" of DNA bands representing integer multiples of the internucleosomal DNA length about 180-200 bp, which became more evident with further incubation up to 72 h. With shorter incubation time (< or = 24 h) or at a lower Ang II concentration (< 10 mumol/L), such changes failed to occur. This effect of Ang II could be abolished by losartan (10 mumol/L), verapamil (1 mumol/L) or staurosporine (10 nmol/L). The above results indicate that Ang II-induced apoptosis in ARVMs may be mainly mediated by Ang II type I (AT1) receptors with [Ca2+]i and protein kinase C (PKC) playing a critical role.