Modulation of tissue angiotensinogen gene expression in genetically obese hypertensive rats

Wistar fatty rats (WFR) show obesity and obesity-related features, including hypertension. In this study, we examined the expression of angiotensinogen mRNA in a variety of tissues at different times in WFR and control Wistar lean rats (WLR). WFR were obese and hypertensive at 16 and 24 wk. Plasma renin activity and plasma angiotensinogen concentration showed age-dependent increases in WFR but decreases in WLR. Northern blot analysis showed no significant differences in the levels of hepatic and renal angiotensinogen mRNA between WFR and WLR, and the levels of fat and adrenal angiotensinogen mRNA were lower in WFR than in WLR. On the other hand, the levels of cardiac angiotensinogen mRNA at 16 and 24 wk and those of aortic angiotensinogen mRNA at 16 wk were significantly higher in WFR than in WLR. These results show that the expression of tissue angiotensinogen mRNA is regulated differently in WFR and WLR and indicate that the development of hypertension in WFR is accompanied at least temporally with increases in plasma angiotensinogen concentration as well as in cardiac and aortic angiotensinogen mRNA. Moreover, these results suggest the existence of obesity hypertension-linked and tissue-specific regulation of angiotensinogen gene expression.