Presence of renin within intramitochondrial dense bodies of the rat
adrenal cortex.
Peters, J[diaeresis]org, Bettina Kr[umlaut]anzlin, Sabine Schaeffer,
Jutta Zimmer, Stefan Resch, Sebastian Bachmann, Norbert Gretz, and
Eberhard Hackenthal.
Dept. of Pharmacology, INF 366, Dept. of Anatomy, INF307,
University of Heidelberg, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany, and Medical
Research Center, Klinikum Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, D-68167
Mannheim
APStracts 3:0084E, 1996.
It has been suggested, that tissue-specific expression of the genes of
the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) leads to local generation of
angiotensin II with specific physiological implications. We here
demonstrate, that an intracellular RAS exists in adrenal glomerulosa
cells: 60 hours after bilateral nephrectomy and hemodialysis, renin
and prorenin were eliminated from the circulation, whereas
intraadrenal renin content increased (control rats: 2 +/- 0.5 ng
ANGI/mg x hr; anephric rats: 25 +/- 2). Thus, renin is produced
locally within adrenal cells. We obtained immunocytochemical and
biochemical evidence for the presence of renin within
intramitochondrial dense bodies of the zona glomerulosa. After
nephrectomy, dense bodies increased in number, size, and renin
content (control rats: 2.5 +/- 0.7 ngANGI/mg x hr; anephric rats: 43
+/- 7). Angiotensin-converting enzyme was also present within
mitochondria and their dense bodies. In addition, in adrenal cortex
of anephric rats, giant dense bodies were observed, which contain
renin and strongly react with an anti-angiotensinogen antibody. The
localization of renin, ACE and angiotensinogen at these sites
provides a new evidence for the existence of an intracellular adrenal
RAS.
Received 10 October 1995; accepted in final form 5 April 1996.
APS Manuscript Number E492-5.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (Endocrinol. Metab.).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1996 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 23 April 96