Degradation of bradykinin and its metabolites by rat brain synaptic membranes

Enzymatic pathways of the brain renin-angiotensin system: unsolved problems and continuing challenges

The brain renin-angiotensin system continues to be enigmatic more than 40 years after the brain was first recognized to be a site of action of angiotensin II. This review focuses on the enzymatic pathways for the formation and degradation of the growing number of active angiotensins in the brain. A brief description and nomenclature of the peptidases involved in the processing of angiotensin peptides in the brain is given. Of primary interest is the array of enzymes that degrade radiolabeled angiotensins in receptor binding assays. This poses major challenges to studies of brain angiotensin receptors and it is debatable whether an accurate determination of brain angiotensin receptor binding kinetics has yet been made. The quandary facing the investigator of brain angiotensin receptors is the need to protect the radioligand from metabolic alteration while maintaining the characteristics of the receptors in situ. It is the tenet of this review that we have yet to fully understand the binding characteristics of brain angiotensin receptors and the extent of their distribution in the brain because of our inability to fully protect the angiotensins from metabolic alteration until equilibrium binding conditions can be attained.

Degradation of bradykinin by peritoneal and alveolar macrophages of the guinea pig

Peptidase inhibitors and identification of the peptide fragments were used for the characterization of the bradykinin metabolism by alveolar and peritoneal macrophages. Both cell types show differences in the rate of inactivation and in the quantity of the metabolites generated. BK(1-5), BK(1-8), and BK(1-7) are the predominant direct metabolites. Metalloendopeptidase 24.15, carboxypeptidase M, and an unidentified peptidase are responsible for their formation. Angiotensin-converting enzyme and neutral endopeptidase 24.11 do not play a crucial role in the degradation of bradykinin by macrophages. In the bronchoalveolar space, other cells than the macrophages are more important to the breakdown of this peptide.

Pathophysiology of the kallikrein-kinin system in mammalian nervous tissue

The nervous system and peripheral tissues in mammals contain a large number of biologically active peptides and proteases that function as neurotransmitters or neuromodulators in the nervous system, as hormones or cellular mediators in peripheral tissue, and play a role in human neurological diseases. The existence and possible functional relevance of bradykinin and kallidin (the peptides), kallikreins (the proteolytic enzymes), and kininases (the peptidases) in neurophysiology and neuropathological states are discussed in this review. Tissue kallikrein, the major cellular kinin-generating enzyme, has been localised in various areas of the mammalian brain. Functionally, it may assist also in the normal turnover of brain proteins and the processing of peptide-hormones, neurotransmitters, and some of the nerve growth factors that are essential for normal neuronal function and synaptic transmission. A specific class of kininases, peptidases responsible for the rapid degradation of kinins, is considered to be identical to enkephalinase A. Additionally, kinins are known to mediate inflammation, a cardinal feature of which is pain, and the clearest evidence for a primary neuronal role exists so far in the activation by kinins of peripherally located nociceptive receptors on C-fibre terminals that transmit and modulate pain perception. Kinins are also important in vascular homeostasis, the release of excitatory amino acid neurotransmitters, and the modulation of cerebral cellular immunity. The two kinin receptors, B2 and B1, that modulate the cellular actions of kinins have been demonstrated in animal neural tissue, neural cells in culture, and various areas of the human brain. Their localisation in glial tissue and neural centres, important in the regulation of cardiovascular homeostasis and nociception, suggests that the kinin system may play a functional role in the nervous system.

Tissue distribution and subcellular localization of rabbit liver metalloendopeptidase

We have previously isolated rabbit liver microsomal metalloendopeptidase (MEP) as a candidate for the processing enzyme of vitamin K-dependent plasma proteins. A cDNA coding for MEP has revealed that it is structurally related to metalloendopeptidase-24.15, which catalyzes the proteolytic processing of several bioactive peptides. In this study we examined the tissue distribution and subcellular localization of MEP by light and electron microscopic immunohistochemical methods, in addition to Northern blot analysis. Chicken polyclonal antibodies were raised by using synthetic peptides AG1 (Met31-Asn46) and AG3 (Asp537-Gly551) derived from the sequence of MEP. Both anti-AG1 and anti-AG3 antibodies reacted specifically with MEP, as judged by Western blotting and immunohistochemical methods. Both antibodies gave an identical staining distribution, which was localized on the luminal cell surfaces and in the cytoplasm of the following organs: liver, brain, lungs, kidneys, esophagus, stomach, duodenum, pancreas, placenta, epididymis, uterus, ovary, and oviduct. Northern blot analysis revealed that the expression of MEP mRNA is similar to its immunohistochemical distribution except in the heart. These results suggest that MEP may participate more closely in a degradation role in peptide metabolism in various tissues than in a processing role of the proprotein, like metalloendopeptidase-24.15.

Presystemic bradykinin metabolism in sheep and rat nasal homogenates

Bradykinin (BK) and its fragments BK(1-8), BK(1-7), and BK(1-5) were incubated with sheep nasal homogenates to investigate the extent of peptide metabolism within the nasal mucosa. The products for both bradykinin and BK(1-8) degradation were found to be BK(1-7) and BK(1-5). BK(1-7) was metabolized to BK(1-5) alone. The patterns of degradation suggest that the Pro7-Phe8 bond of bradykinin was hydrolyzed first, then BK(1-7) was further hydrolyzed to form BK(1-5). The metabolism of bradykinin in rat nasal homogenates and plasma was also investigated. BK(1-5) was the only metabolite measurable in the rat nasal homogenates, likely due to the activity of an endopeptidase. The reduction in the bradykinin degradation rate resulting from the inhibition of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) or carboxypeptidase N indicates that these enzymes participate in mucosal bradykinin metabolism to some degree. In comparison, the products of bradykinin hydrolysis in rat plasma were found to be BK(1-8), BK(1-7), and BK(1-5). These results indicate that the enzyme populations or/and activities vary significantly between different species and between different tissues within the same species. Although significant aminopeptidase activities were detected in the sheep nasal homogenates, bradykinin was not affected by their presence, since the N-terminal sequence of bradykinin is not susceptible to hydrolysis by most aminopeptidases.

Bradykinin B1 receptors in the rabbit urinary bladder: induction of responses, smooth muscle contraction, and phosphatidylinositol hydrolysis

1. The aim of this study was to analyse the pharmacological characteristics, and second-messenger coupling-mechanisms, of bradykinin B1 receptors in an intact tissue, the rabbit urinary bladder; and to investigate the influence of inhibition of endogenous peptidases on kinin activities. 2. In preparations of rabbit mucosa-free urinary bladder, at 90 min after mounting of the preparations, bradykinin (1 nM-10 microM) evoked contractile responses. In contrast, the B1 receptor-selective agonist [des-Arg9]-BK (10 mM-10 microM) was only weakly active at this time. Contractile responses to [des-Arg9]-BK increased with time of tissue incubation in the organ bath, reaching a maximum after 3 h, when the pD2 estimates were 6.4 +/- 0.3 for bradykinin, and 6.9 +/- 0.2 for [des-Arg9]-BK. 3. Once stabilized, responses to [des-Arg9]-BK in the bladder were competitively antagonized by the B1 receptor-selective antagonists [Leu8,des-Arg9]-BK and D-Arg-[Hyp3,Thi5,D-Tic7,Oic8,des-Arg9]-BK ([des-Arg10]-Hoe140) (pKB estimates were 6.1 +/- 0.1 and 7.1 +/- 0.1, respectively; n = 17-21), but responses were unaffected by the B2 receptor-selective antagonist D-Arg-[Hyp3,Thi5,D-Tic7,Oic8]-BK (Hoe140) (100 nM; n = 4). Contractile responses to bradykinin itself were partially, but significantly, inhibited by the B1 receptor-selective antagonist, [Leu8,des-Arg9]-BK (10 microM) (P < 0.05), or by the B2 receptor-selective antagonist Hoe140 (100 nM) (P < 0.005) alone, and were largely blocked by a combination of the two antagonists (P < 0.0001). 4. The combined presence of the carboxypeptidase inhibitor DL-2-mercaptomethyl-3-guanidinoethylthiopropanoicacid (mergetpa; 10 microM), the neutral endopeptidase inhibitor, phosphoramidon (1 microM),and the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, enalaprilat (1 microM) increased the potency of bradykinin17 fold (P<0.001), but that of [des-Argl-BK was unchanged (P>0.05): pD2 estimates were 7.6 +/- 0.1 and 6.8 +/- 0.1 for bradykinin and [des-Argl-BK, respectively, in treated preparations. In the presence of peptidase inhibitors, the affinities of the antagonists [Leu8,des-Arg9]-BK and [des-Arg'j-Hoel4O were unchanged as compared with those determined in the absence of peptidase inhibitors (P> 0.05).[Leu8,des-Argj-BK inhibited responses to bradykinin under these conditions (n = 4).5. In endothelium-denuded preparations of the rabbit isolated aorta, an archetypal B1 receptor preparation,contractile responses to the B1 receptor-selective agonist [des-Argl-BK (10nM- 1O0 AM) (and to bradykinin) increased progressively with time of tissue incubation; and [des-Argl-BK responses were completely antagonized by the B. receptor antagonist [Leu8,des-Arg9]-BK (pKB 6.3 +/- 0.2; n = 13).6. In experiments measuring stimulation of hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol in rabbit urinary bladder,[des-Argl-BK (10 microM- 1 mM), and bradykinin (100 microM) significantly increased accumulation of inositol phosphates (P<0.0001). The increase in accumulation of inositol phosphates evoked by [des-Arg9]-BK(10 microM - 1 mM) was significantly inhibited by [des-Arg'j-Hoe 140 (10 microM) (P <0.01).7. We conclude that in the mucosa-free rabbit urinary bladder, [des-Argl-BK evokes contraction largely via activation of B1 receptors which have similar properties, including time-dependent induction,to B1 receptors in the rabbit isolated aorta. Bradykinin evokes contraction via stimulation of both B1 and B2 receptors, but does not require conversion by peptidases in order to activate B1 receptors. We demonstrate, for the first time, B1 receptor-coupling to phosphatidylinositol hydrolysis in an intact tissue preparation.

Kinins and kinin receptors in the nervous system

Kinins, including bradykinin and kallidin, are peptides that are produced and act at the site of tissue injury or inflammation. They induce a variety of effects via the activation of specific B1 or B2 receptors that are coupled to a number of biochemical transduction mechanisms. In the periphery the actions of kinins include vasodilatation, increased vascular permeability and the stimulation of immune cells and peptide-containing sensory neurones to induce pain and a number of neuropeptide-induced reflexes. Mechanisms for kinin synthesis are also present in the CNS where kinins are likely to initiate a similar cascade of events, including an increase in blood flow and plasma leakage. Kinins are potent stimulators of neural and neuroglial tissues to induce the synthesis and release of other pro-inflammatory mediators such as prostanoids and cytotoxins (cytokines, free radicals, nitric oxide). These events lead to neural tissue damage as well as long lasting disturbances in blood-brain barrier function. Animal models for CNS trauma and ischaemia show that increases in kinin activity can be reversed either by kinin receptor antagonists or by the inhibition of kinin production. A number of other central actions have been attributed to kinins including an effect on pain signalling, both within the brain (which may be related to vascular headache) and within the spinal dorsal horn where primary afferent nociceptors can be stimulated. Kinins also appear to play a role in cardiovascular regulation especially during chronic spontaneous hypertension. Presently, however, direct evidence is lacking for the release of kinins in pathophysiological conditions of the CNS and it is not known whether spinal or central neurones, other than afferent nerve terminals, are sensitive to kinins. A more detailed examination of the effects of kinins and their central pharmacology is necessary. It is also important to determine whether the inhibition of kinin activity will alleviate CNS inflammation and whether kinin receptor antagonists are useful in pathological conditions of the CNS.

Endopeptidases 24.16 and 24.15 are responsible for the degradation of somatostatin, neurotensin, and other neuropeptides by cultivated rat cortical astrocytes

Several neuropeptides, including neurotensin, somatostatin, bradykinin, angiotensin II, substance P, and luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone but not vasopressin and oxytocin, were actively metabolized through proteolytic degradation by cultivated astrocytes obtained from rat cerebral cortex. Because phenanthroline was an effective degradation inhibitor, metalloproteases were responsible for neuropeptide fragmentation. Neurotensin was cleaved by astrocytes at the Pro10-Tyr11 and Arg8-Arg9 bonds, whereas somatostatin was cleaved at the Phe6-Phe7 and Thr10-Phe11 bonds. These cleavage sites have been found previously with endopeptidases 24.16 and 24.15 purified from rat brain. Addition of specific inhibitors of these proteases, the dipeptide Pro-Ile and N-[1-(RS)-carboxy-3-phenylpropyl]-Ala-Ala-Phe-4-aminobenzoate, significantly reduced the generation of the above neuropeptide fragments by astrocytes. The presence of endopeptidases 24.16 and 24.15 in homogenates of astrocytes could also be demonstrated by chromatographic separations of supernatant solubilized cell preparations. Proteolytic activity for neurotensin eluted after both gel and hydroxyapatite chromatography at the same positions as found for purified endopeptidase 24.16 or 24.15. In incubation experiments or in chromatographic separations no phosphoramidon-sensitive endopeptidase 24.11 (enkephalinase) or captopril-sensitive peptidyl dipeptidase A (angiotensin-converting enzyme) could be detected in cultivated astrocytes. Because astrocytes embrace the neuronal synapses where neuropeptides are released, we presume that the endopeptidases 24.16 and 24.15 on astrocytes are strategically located to contribute significantly to the inactivation of neurotensin, somatostatin, and other neuropeptides in the brain.

Dipeptidase activities in rat brain synaptosomes can be distinguished on the basis of inhibition by bestatin and amastatin: identification of a kyotorphin (Tyr-Arg)-degrading enzyme

The neuropeptide kyotorphin (Tyr-Arg) was degraded by rat brain synaptosomes via a synaptic membrane-bound peptidase which was inhibited by bestatin but not by amastatin. The Km for kyotorphin was 8 x 10(-6) M and the Ki for bestatin was 1 x 10(-7) M. The kyotorphin-degrading enzyme was distinguished from at least one other dipeptide-hydrolyzing activity in synaptosomes which was inhibited by both bestatin and amastatin. Gel permeation chromatography of detergent-extracted synaptosomes resulted in the separation of the dipeptide-hydrolyzing activities. A single kyotorphin-degrading enzyme peak was observed which had a M(r) = 52,000. The activity peak could degrade other dipeptides including Phe-Arg, a synaptic membrane-generated metabolic of bradykinin. The kyotorphin-degrading enzyme appears to be novel and can be distinguished from other known dipeptidases on the basis of substrate specificity, subcellular localization, and inhibition profile.

The kallikrein-kinin system in the rat hypothalamus. Immunohistochemical localization of high molecular weight kininogen and T kininogen in different neuronal systems

High molecular weight kininogen (HKg) and T kininogen (TKg) were detected and localized by immunocytochemistry in adult rat hypothalamus. In addition, kininogens were measured by their direct radioimmunoassay (RIA) or by indirect estimation of kinins released after trypsin hydrolysis and high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) separation of bradykinin (BK) and T kinin. A specific HKg immunoreactivity demonstrated with antibodies directed against the light chain (LC) of HKg was colocated with SRIF in neurons of hypothalamic periventricular area (PVA) projecting to external zone (ZE) of median eminence (ME). Heavy chain (HC) immunoreactivity which could be related to HKg or to low molecular weight kininogen (LKg) was detected in some other systems: i) parvocellular neurons of suprachiasmatic (SCN) and arcuate nuclei containing SRIF, ii) magnocellular neurons (mostly oxytocinergic) of paraventricular (PVN) and supraoptic (SON) nuclei, iii) neurons of dorsomedian and lateral hypothalamic areas. TKg immunostaining was restricted to magnocellular neurons of PVN, SON, accessory nuclei (mostly vasopressinergic) and to parvocellular neurons of SCN (vasopressinergic). TKg projections are directed towards the internal zone (ZI) of ME, but very few immunoreactive terminals are detectable in neurohypophysis. TKg staining parallels with vasopressin during water deprivation, and is undetectable in homozygous Brattleboro rats. In some magnocellular neurons, TKg and HC (related to HKg or LKg) are coexpressed. TKg, was also detected in hypothalamus and cerebellum extracts by direct RIA, and BK and T kinin were identified after trypsin hydrolysis. HKg and LKg can act as precursor of BK which can play a physiological role as releasing factor, neuromodulator--neurotransmitter,--or modulator of local microcirculation in hypothalamus. The three kininogens are also potent thiolprotease inhibitors which could modulate both the maturation processes of peptidic hormones and their inactivation and catabolism.

Bradykinin B2 receptor evoked K+ permeability increase mediates relaxation in the rat duodenum

We have investigated the receptors and associated coupling mechanisms that mediate the smooth muscle relaxant response to bradykinin (BK) in the rat duodenum in vitro. Relaxation in response to BK seems due to a direct action on the longitudinal smooth muscle since effects were demonstrable in the presence of ibuprofen, mepyramine, atropine, guanethidine (all 1 microM), hexamethonium (10 microM) and TTX (0.3 microM). Receptors involved are of the B2 subtype since agonists and antagonists active at B1 receptors were essentially inactive, and the B2 receptor antagonist Lys,Lys-[Hyp3,Thi5,8,D-Phe7]BK was a potent competitive antagonist of BK-induced relaxation (pKB of 7.2 +/- 0.1). The activity of both BK and the antagonist were unchanged by the presence of peptidase inhibitors including the carboxypeptidase inhibitor DL-2-mercaptomethyl-3-guanidinoethylthiopropanoic acid (mergetpa, 10 microM), which prevents conversion of BK analogues to des-Arg9-B1-active products. In high-K+ solution, BK (0.1-10 microM) produced concentration-related increases in 86Rb efflux. Both this permeability increase in high-K+ solution, and the relaxant responses in Krebs solution, were inhibited by low concentrations (10-100 nM) of apamin, as well as the B2 receptor antagonist Lys,Lys-[Hyp3,Thi5,8,D-Phe7]BK (1 microM). These results are compatable with the proposal that BK-evoked relaxation of the rat duodenum is mediated via a subset of B2 receptors for which the antagonist Lys,Lys-[Hyp3,Thi5,8,D-Phe7]BK has a high affinity, and results from stabilisation of the smooth muscle membrane through the opening of apamin-sensitive 86Rb-permeable calcium-activated K+ channels.