Hypertension research : official journal of the Japanese Society of Hypertension
-
The present study aimed to examine the regulatory effect of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) on vascular collagen remodeling in hypertensive rats. After 5 weeks of H2S donor treatment, tail blood pressure, the endogenous H2S production rate, levels of hydroxyproline and collagen type I, collagen type I protein expression in the thoracic aorta, [3H]thymidine ([3H]TdR) incorporation, [3H]proline incorporation, and [3H]hydroxyproline secretion in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) were measured. We also examined the effects of NaHS on angiotensin II-induced mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation and angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptor binding affinity. ⋯ Moreover, NaHS could dose-dependently decrease angiotensin II-induced MAPK activation. NaHS also decreased AT1 receptor binding as well as the binding affinity of the AT1 receptor. Thus, in SHRs, which demonstrated vascular remodeling and collagen accumulation, the endogenous H2S pathway is involved in the regulation of excess vascular collagen.