Renal angiotensin receptor mapping in obese spontaneously hypertensive rats

Obese spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) develop nephropathy with severe proteinuria, but lean littermates do not develop renal disease. Intrarenal angiotensin has been suggested to contribute to nephropathy in other experimental models. We examined the regulation of angiotensin receptors as a reflection of target tissue response to possible changes in the renin-angiotensin system. We visualized angiotensin receptors in kidneys of 6-8-month-old obese SHR and their lean littermates. Both obese and lean rats were hypertensive as determined by tail-cuff or by direct measurement. Histologic studies showed early glomerular sclerosis in obese but not lean rats. Autoradiographic visualization of angiotensin receptor binding sites in both obese and lean SHR showed glomeruli and medullary rays having the highest levels of binding with additional diffuse labeling in cortex and outer medulla. In obese rats, binding was reduced relative to lean littermates, particularly in the medulla, while intense binding in glomeruli was preserved. Loss of receptors did not reflect tissue damage, since the medulla showed no pathological changes. Biochemical assays of the binding of subtype-selective antagonists to 125I-angiotensin sites in intact sections showed that both losartan-sensitive and PD 123319-sensitive sites were decreased in nephrotic obese rats. We conclude that specific binding sites for angiotensin are decreased in obese SHR with early glomerular sclerosis, suggesting that angiotensin receptors may be regulated by pathogenic processes in this model of renal disease.