Abstract 25: Prorenin Elevates Blood Pressure via the (Pro)renin Receptor: Who Needs Renin When You Have Prorenin in the Brain

Growing evidence supports that the brain renin-angiotensin (Ang) system (RAS) plays an important role in blood pressure (BP) regulation and hypertension. This concept has been perplexed by extremely low renin activity in the brain. We recently reported the presence of prorenin in the mouse brain at a level of 10-fold higher than that of renin. In addition, we and others have identified the localization of the (pro)renin receptor (PRR) in various brain nuclei involved in BP regulation. The binding of prorenin to PRR leads to Ang II formation in vitro. Our hypothesis: Brain prorenin binding to PRR mediates Ang II formation, leading to an increase in BP. To test this, neuron-specific PRR knockout mice (Nefh-PRR) and wildtype (WT) littermates (N=5/group) were each implanted with a telemetric probe for BP recording and an intracerebroventricular (ICV) cannula for infusion of mouse prorenin (100ng/ul), mouse renin (100ng/ul), or Ang II type 1 receptor (AT1R) blocker (losartan, 10ug/ul) at 0.3ul/minute for 10 minutes. Mouse prorenin infusion increased the BP (mmHg) in WT mice (ΔMAP: 41 ± 5); however, the prorenin-induced pressor response was abolished in Nefh-PRR mice (ΔMAP: 5 ± 1). Infusion of mouse renin similarly increased BP in Nefh-PRR (ΔMAP: 27 ± 2) and WT (ΔMAP: 31 ± 5) mice. The pressor response induced by prorenin or renin was completely blocked by the infusion of losartan. The data suggests that ICV prorenin via PRR mediates Ang II-dependent pressor response in WT mice. To determine whether PRR contributes to the development of brain RAS-dependent hypertension, Nefh-PRR and WT littermates (N=8/group) were treated with 50mg of deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA) subcutaneously, plus 0.9% NaCl drinking water for 21 days. The baseline BP was similar between Nefh-PRR (101 ± 2) and WT (101 ± 3) mice. BP was increased in WT mice (132 ± 6) by DOCA-salt treatment, while Nefh-PRR mice remained normotensive (108 ± 3). In summary, prorenin via PRR mediates AngII/AT1R-dependent pressor response in the brain. Neuron-specific PRR deletion attenuates the development of DOCA-salt hypertension likely due to the lack of Ang II/AT1R activation. We conclude that prorenin/PRR may be the key factors to initiate the brain RAS and play an essential role in neurogenic hypertension.