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Increased (Pro)renin Receptor Expression in the Hypertensive Human Brain
Minhazul Mohsin1,2, Lucas A C Souza1,2, Simindokht Aliabadi1,2
1Departments of Pharmacology and Physiology & Cell Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, School of Medicine, Reno, NV, United States.
Frontiers in Physiology
|December 17, 2020
Summary
The (pro)renin receptor (PRR) is found in key brain areas regulating blood pressure. In humans, increased PRR in the paraventricular nucleus and rostral ventrolateral medulla is linked to hypertension.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cardiovascular Physiology
- Endocrinology
Background:
- The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) regulates blood pressure, with central nervous system (CNS) involvement.
- The (pro)renin receptor (PRR) is a key component of the brain's local RAS, influencing angiotensin II formation and signaling.
- Neuronal PRR activation is implicated in cardiovascular and metabolic regulation, particularly in obesity and diabetes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the expression and regulation of the PRR in key human brain nuclei involved in cardiovascular control.
- To determine the clinical significance of brain PRR in human hypertension.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of postmortem brain samples from normotensive and hypertensive human subjects.
- Immunohistochemical examination of PRR expression in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) and rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM).
- Correlation analysis of PRR immunoreactivity with clinical parameters like systolic blood pressure (sBP), age, and body mass index (BMI).
Main Results:
- PRR is expressed in neurons within the human PVN and RVLM, but not in astrocytes.
- PRR immunoreactivity was significantly elevated in both the PVN and RVLM of hypertensive subjects compared to normotensive subjects.
- PVN-PRR immunoreactivity showed a positive correlation with sBP and a trend towards correlation with age.
Conclusions:
- The PRR is present in key cardiovascular regulatory nuclei in the human brain.
- Increased PRR expression in the PVN and RVLM is associated with human hypertension.
- The PRR in the PVN and RVLM may play a crucial role in the neural regulation of blood pressure and metabolic function in humans.
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