Evidence for a Physiological Mitochondrial Angiotensin II System in the Kidney Proximal Tubules

Abstract

The present study tested the hypotheses that overexpression of an intracellular Ang II (angiotensin II) fusion protein, mito-ECFP/Ang II, selectively in the mitochondria of mouse proximal tubule cells induces mitochondrial oxidative and glycolytic responses and elevates blood pressure via the Ang II/AT 1a receptor/superoxide/NHE3 (the Na + /H + exchanger 3)-dependent mechanisms. A PT-selective, mitochondria-targeting adenoviral construct encoding Ad-sglt2-mito-ECFP/Ang II was used to test the hypotheses. The expression of mito-ECFP/Ang II was colocalized primarily with Mito-Tracker Red FM in mouse PT cells or with TMRM in kidney PTs. Mito-ECFP/Ang II markedly increased oxygen consumption rate as an index of mitochondrial oxidative response (69.5%; P <0.01) and extracellular acidification rate as an index of mitochondrial glycolytic response (34%; P <0.01). The mito-ECFP/Ang II–induced oxygen consumption rate and extracellular acidification rate responses were blocked by AT 1 blocker losartan ( P <0.01) and a mitochondria-targeting superoxide scavenger mito-TEMPO ( P <0.01). By contrast, the nonselective NO inhibitor L-NAME alone increased, whereas the mitochondria-targeting expression of AT 2 receptors (mito-AT 2 /GFP) attenuated the effects of mito-ECFP/Ang II ( P <0.01). In the kidney, overexpression of mito-ECFP/Ang II in the mitochondria of the PTs increased systolic blood pressure 12±3 mm Hg ( P <0.01), and the response was attenuated in PT-specific PT- Agtr1a −/− and PT- Nhe3 −/− mice ( P <0.01). Conversely, overexpression of AT 2 receptors selectively in the mitochondria of the PTs induced natriuretic responses in PT- Agtr1a −/− and PT- Nhe3 −/− mice ( P <0.01). Taken together, these results provide new evidence for a physiological role of PT mitochondrial Ang II/AT 1a /superoxide/NHE3 and Ang II/AT 2 /NO/NHE3 signaling pathways in maintaining blood pressure homeostasis.