The phosphoinositide signaling system and hypertension

Abstract

The phosphoinositide signaling system is common to many vasoconstrictor agents and as such is influential in the regulation of blood pressure. Recently, there have been major advances in our understanding of these lipids and their metabolism. Characterization of the phospholipase C isozymes and protein kinase C isozymes involved in transmembrane signaling has progressed rapidly. The role of diacylglycerol kinase as a regulator of protein kinase C activity has been established, and phosphatidic acid has been recognized as a cellular messenger. Studies in the spontaneously hypertensive rat have shown abnormalities of phospholipase C that could result in enhanced activity and explain changes in sensitivity reported in rats with this disease. During agonist activation of inositol lipid hydrolysis, levels of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate and 1,2-diacylglycerol are elevated in spontaneously hypertensive rats compared with Wistar-Kyoto control rats. These changes are observed early, prior to blood pressure stabilization, and may be downregulated once hypertension is established. In addition, there is evidence for reduced diacylglycerol kinase activity and enhanced protein kinase C activity in the spontaneously hypertensive rat. These data provide evidence for hyperresponsiveness of the phosphoinositide signaling system in the developmental stages of hypertension. However, confirmatory experiments in nongenetic animal models of hypertension and in human tissues are needed to establish that this is not just a phenotypic phenomenon of the spontaneously hypertensive rat.