HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (1) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by El Bekay, R. Articles by Sobrino, F. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by El Bekay, R. Articles by Sobrino, F.

Departamento de Bioquímica Médica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Sevilla, Avda. Sánchez Pizjuán 4, E-41009 Sevilla, Spain
¹ Departamento de Fisiología, Genética y Microbiología, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain
² Unidad de Hipertensión, Hospital Universitario Virgen Macarena, Sevilla, Spain

(Correspondence should be addressed to F Sobrino; Email: fsobrino{at}us.es)

^* R El Bekay and G Alba contributed equally to this work

R El Bekay is now at Laboratorio de Investigación, Fundación IMABIS, Hospital Carlos Haya, Málaga, CIBER de obesidad y Nutrición (CB06/03/0018)

Angiotensin II (Ang II) highly stimulates superoxide anion production by neutrophils. The G-protein Rac2 modulates the activity of NADPH oxidase in response to various stimuli. Here, we describe that Ang II induced both Rac2 translocation from the cytosol to the plasma membrane and Rac2 GTP-binding activity. Furthermore, Clostridium difficile toxin A, an inhibitor of the Rho-GTPases family Rho, Rac and Cdc42, prevented Ang II-elicited production, phosphorylation of the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) p38, extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase 1/2, and Rac2 activation. Rac2 GTPase inhibition by C. difficile toxin A was accompanied by a robust reduction of the cytosolic Ca²⁺ elevation induced by Ang II in human neutrophils. Furthermore, SB203580 and PD098059 act as inhibitors of p38MAPK and ERK1/2 respectively, wortmannin, an inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase, and cyclosporin A, a calcineurin inhibitor, hindered both translocation of Rac2 from the cytosol to the plasma membrane and enhancement of Rac2 GTP-binding elicited by Ang II. These results provide evidence that the activation of Rac2 by Ang II is exerted through multiple signalling pathways, involving Ca²⁺/calcineurin and protein kinases, the elucidation of which should be insightful in the design of new therapies aimed at reversing the inflammation of vessel walls found in a number of cardiovascular diseases.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				L. Guasti, F. Marino, M. Cosentino, R. C. Maio, E. Rasini, M. Ferrari, L. Castiglioni, C. Klersy, G. Gaudio, A. M. Grandi, et al. Prolonged statin-associated reduction in neutrophil reactive oxygen species and angiotensin II type 1 receptor expression: 1-year follow-up Eur. Heart J., May 1, 2008; 29(9): 1118 - 1126. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]