Regulation of angiotensinogen in the central nervous system

Several interventions known to alter plasma renin substrate in rats such as nephrectomy (NX), adrenalectomy (ADX) and glucocorticoid treatment changed the angiotensinogen content in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the same direction. However, peripheral and central angiotensinogen could be dissociated from each other by ADX and NX in combination, as well as by chronic converting enzyme blockade. The regulation of brain angiotensinogen was further investigated in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR-sp) in comparison with normotensive Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats. The angiotensinogen levels of the anterior hypothalamus and of the septal area showed strain and age-related differences. Chronic converting enzyme blockade, which kept SHR-sp normotensive, stimulated angiotensinogen in the anterior hypothalamus of both SHR-sp and WKY rats, but suppressed plasma renin substrate. A specific radioimmunoassay (RIA) for renin substrate of rat plasma also recognized the CSF angiotensinogen, and a linear correlation existed between direct and indirect measurements. In conclusion, angiotensinogen in the central nervous system appears to be immunologically similar to plasma angiotensinogen. Its regulation is not directly related, however, to circulating renin substrate, although adrenal steroids stimulate both central and peripheral angiotensinogen. A differential regulation of angiotensinogen in the brain of SHR-sp as compared to WKY is evident and could be linked to blood pressure control.