Angiotensin-(1-7)-dependent vasorelaxation of the renal artery exhibits unique angiotensin and bradykinin receptor selectivity.

Angiotensin-(1-7) [Ang-(1-7)] exhibits blood pressure lowering actions, inhibits cell growth, and reduces tissue inflammation and fibrosis which may functionally antagonize an activated Ang II-AT1 receptor axis. Since the vascular actions of Ang-(1-7) and the associated receptor/signaling pathways vary in different vascular beds, the current study established the vasorelaxant properties of the heptapeptide in the renal artery of male Wistar male rats. Ang-(1-7) produced an endothelium-dependent vasodilator relaxation of isolated renal artery segments pre-contracted by a sub-maximal concentration of phenylephrine (PE) (3×10-7M). Ang-(1-7) induced vasodilation of the rat renal artery with an ED50 of 3±1nM and a maximal response of 42±5% (N=10). The two antagonists (10-5M each) for the AT7/Mas receptor (MasR) [D-Pro7]-Ang-(1-7) and [D-Ala7]-Ang-(1-7) significantly reduced the maximal response to 12±1% and 18±3%, respectively. Surprisingly, the AT2R receptor antagonist PD123319, the AT1R antagonist losartan and B2R antagonist HOE140 (10-6M each) also significantly reduced Ang-(1-7)-induced relaxation to 12±2%, 22±3% and 14±7%, respectively. Removal of the endothelium or addition of the soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) inhibitor ODQ (10-5M) essentially abolished the vasorelaxant response to Ang-(1-7) (10±4% and 10±2%, P <0.05). Finally, the NOS inhibitor LNAME (10-4M) reduced the response to 13±2% (p<0.05), but the cyclooxygenase inhibitor indomethacin failed to block the Ang-(1-7) response. We conclude that Ang-(1-7) exhibits potent vasorelaxant actions in the isolated renal artery that are dependent on an intact endothelium and the apparent stimulation of a NO-sGC pathway. Moreover, Ang-(1-7)-dependent vasorelaxation was sensitive to antagonists against the AT7/Mas, AT1, AT2 and B2 receptor subtypes.