Role of reactive oxygen species in angiotensin II-mediated renal growth, differentiation, and apoptosis.

Angiotensin II (ANG II) induces cell-cycle arrest of cultured proximal tubular cells, resulting in cellular hypertrophy. This ANG II-mediated hypertrophy is associated with the induction of p27(Kip1), an inhibitor of G1 phase cyclin-dependent kinase cyclin complexes. We have recently demonstrated that ANG II-mediated expression of p27(Kip1) and induction of cellular hypertrophy depend on the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The effects of ROS are mediated by stimulation of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases. p44/42 MAP kinase directly phosphorylates p27(Kip1) at serine-threonine residues and increases thereby its half-life time. AT2-receptor activation has been implicated in apoptosis and/or cell differentiation. Recent studies, however, revealed a more indirect role of hypoxia in the antiproliferative effects of ANG II transduced through AT2 receptors. We found that SM-20 is down-regulated in ANG II-stimulated PC12 cells that express only AT2 receptors. It turned out that SM20 is the rat homologue of a dioxygenase that regulates hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1). ANG II induces HIF-1alpha by a posttranscriptional mechanism suggesting that SM20 down-regulation leads to stabilization of HIF-1. Thus, ANG II-induced ROS generation plays a pivotal role in several pathophysiological situations, leading to renal growth regulation and remodeling after injury.