Transforming Growth Factor-.BETA. Expression in Cardiovascular Organs in Stroke-Prone Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats with the Development of Hypertension.

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Abstract
Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β activity is involved in several cardiovascular diseases owing to its effects on the growth of vascular smooth muscle cells and induction of extracellular matrix formation. We evaluated expression of TGF-β in cardiovascular organs from stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR-SP) which show severe cardiovascular damages with the development of hypertension. Twelve-week-old Wistar-Kyoto (WKY)/Izm rats and SHR-SP/Izm were loaded with 1% salt for 4 weeks. Aorta, heart and kidney were removed and evaluated histologically by hematoxylin-eosin staining. Expression of TGF-β1 mRNA was evaluated by reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction analysis in mRNA extracted with oligo dT-cellulose. Expression of TGF-β1 protein was evaluated by Western blot analysis and immunohistochemical study in renal cortex. Whereas expression of TGF-β1 mRNA was detected only in the heart of SHR-SP before salt loading, it was detected in the aorta, left ventricle of heart and renal cortex from both rat strains, and it was stronger in the renal cortex of SHR-SP than in the renal cortex of WKY rats. Expression of TGF-β1 protein was markedly higher in the renal cortex of SHR-SP than in the renal cortex of WKY rats after salt loading. TGF-β was localized at glomeruli and capillary arteries in the renal cortex, and immunostaining was stronger in SHR-SP than in WKY rats. Expression of TGF-β1 was increased in glomeruli and capillaries of the renal cortex with the development of hypertension in SHR-SP. These results implicate TGF-β in the renal damage observed in hypertension. (Hypertens Res 2002; 25: 911-918)

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