Apelin protects against abdominal aortic aneurysm and the therapeutic role of neutral endopeptidase resistant apelin analogs.

ABSTRACT: Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) remains the second most frequent vascular disease with high mortality but has no approved medical therapy. We investigated the direct role of apelin (APLN) in AAA and identified a unique approach to enhance APLN action as a therapeutic intervention for this disease. Loss of APLN potentiated angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced AAA formation, aortic rupture, and reduced survival. Formation of AAA was driven by increased smooth muscle cell (SMC) apoptosis and oxidative stress in Apln^-/y aorta and in APLN-deficient cultured murine and human aortic SMCs. Ang II-induced myogenic response and hypertension were greater in Apln^-/y mice, however, an equivalent hypertension induced by phenylephrine, an α-adrenergic agonist, did not cause

SUBMITTER: Wang W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6600956 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature