The involvement of the renin-angiotensin system in the regulation of cell proliferation in the rat endometrium |
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Authors: | M Pawlikowski G Meleń-Mucha S Mucha |
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Institution: | (1) Institute of Endocrinology, Medical University of Lodz, Sterling Street 3, PL-91-425 Lodz (Poland), Fax +48 42 632 48 54, PL |
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Abstract: | Oestrogens are known to enhance angiotensin biosynthesis by increasing the elaboration of its precursor, angiotensinogen.
On the other hand, we found that inhibition of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) suppressed the proliferative response of
the rat anterior pituitary gland to oestrogens. To answer the question whether the angiotensin system is involved in the control
of the cell proliferation of the uterine epithelium, the effects of an ACE inhibitor, enalapril maleate, and of angiotensins
II and IV, alone or together with losartan, an antagonist of angiotensin receptor type 1 (AT1), on endometrial epithelial
cell proliferation have been studied. The experiments were performed on ovariectomized female Wistar rats. In the first experiment
the animals were injected with a single dose of oestradiol benzoate or received an injection of solvent only. Half of the
oestrogen-treated rats were injected additionally with enalapril maleate (EN, twice daily). The incorporation of bromodeoxyuridine
(BrDU) into endometrial cell nuclei was used as an index of cell proliferation. It was found that oestradiol alone dramatically
increased the BrDU labelling index (LI) of endometrial cell nuclei, and this effect was partially blocked by the simultaneous
treatment with EN. In the second experiment, the animals were injected intraperitoneally with angiotensin II (AII), angiotensin
IV (AIV) or saline, alone or together with losartan. It was found that AIV induced an increase in the LI in uterine epithelium,
and this effect was not blocked by the simultaneous treatment with losartan. The increase in LI in uterine epithelium was
also observed in the rats treated with AII and with losartan. These findings suggest an involvement of angiotensin IV in the
control of uterine epithelium cell proliferation.
Received 12 October 1998; received after revision 6 January 1999; accepted 2 February 1999 |
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Keywords: | , Angiotensin II, angiotensin IV, enalapril, losartan, cell proliferation, rat endometrium, |
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