Endocrinology Vol. 138, No. 9 3828-3835
Copyright © 1997 by The Endocrine Society
Desensitization of AT1 Receptor-Mediated Cellular Responses Requires Long Term Receptor Down-Regulation in Bovine Adrenal Glomerulosa Cells1
Darren E. Richard2,
Stéphane A. Laporte2,
Sylvie G. Bernier2,
Richard Leduc3 and
Gaétan Guillemette4
Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of
Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Dr. Gaétan Guillemette, Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Sherbrooke, 3001 12e Avenue Nord, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada J1H 5N4.
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Abstract
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Angiotensin II (Ang II) regulates aldosterone production in bovine
adrenal glomerulosa cells by interacting with the AT1
receptor. This receptor is coupled to a G protein that controls the
activity of phospholipase C. With a primary culture of bovine adrenal
glomerulosa cells, we evaluated the desensitization of cellular
responses after pretreatment with Ang II. When cells were pretreated
for 30 min with 1 µM Ang II at 37 C, we observed a 48%
loss of [125I]Ang II-binding activity. Scatchard analysis
revealed that this decreased binding activity corresponded to a 53%
loss of the total number of binding sites. This phenomenon was time
dependent, with a t1/2 of 20 min, and a maximal loss of
76% of the total binding sites was observed after 14 h. A
time-dependent decrease in AT1 receptor messenger RNA
levels was also observed after pretreatment with 1 µM Ang
II for 1224 h. Taken together, these results are interpreted as a
down-regulation of the AT1 receptor. Desensitization of
phospholipase C activity under similar conditions was, however, a
slower process, with a t1/2 of 9 h and a maximal
response reduction of 83% observed after 24 h. Dose-response
experiments indicated that maximal phospholipase C desensitization was
obtained in the presence of 1 µM Ang II, with an
EC50 of 90 nM. The desensitization was of a
homologous nature, as a 24-h pretreatment with Ang II did not affect
bradykinin-induced inositol phosphate production. A 24-h pretreatment
with 1 µM Ang II also significantly desensitized the
steroidogenic effect of Ang II and the potentiating effect of Ang II on
ACTH-induced cAMP production. Lower concentrations of Ang II (10
nM) did not produce any desensitizing effect on these two
parameters. This study provides evidence that glomerulosa cells are
functionally resistant to short term desensitization of the
AT1 receptor and that long term down-regulation with high
concentrations of Ang II is needed to desensitize
AT1-mediated cellular responses.
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Introduction
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ANGIOTENSIN II (Ang II) is an important
regulator of aldosterone synthesis and secretion by adrenal glomerulosa
cells (1). The effect of Ang II on these cells is mediated by the
activation of specific cell surface receptors (2, 3) of the
AT1 subtype (4). The primary effector mechanism activated
by these receptors is the hydrolysis of polyphosphoinositides by
phospholipase C, which generates the second messengers inositol
trisphosphate (InsP3) and diacylglycerol (5, 6, 7, 8, 9).
Diacylglycerol directly activates protein kinase C (10), whereas
InsP3 indirectly activates calmodulin kinase through the
release of Ca2+ from an intracellular store (11, 12). These
intracellular signals and activated enzymes ultimately induce the
production and secretion of aldosterone.
It is well recognized that exposure of cells to agonists often leads to
desensitization of cell surface receptors. This phenomenon has been
shown to exist for a number of different G protein-coupled receptors
and has been well characterized for ß2-adrenergic
receptor (ß2-AR). Three different mechanisms have been
proposed for the desensitization of ß2-AR (for review,
see 13 . In the first few minutes of agonist stimulation,
ß2-AR uncouples from its G protein, Gs. This
uncoupling is caused by phosphorylation of ß2-AR by
either protein kinase A or ß-adrenergic receptor kinase. The second
mechanism, also activated in the first few minutes of receptor
stimulation, is the internalization or sequestration of
ß2-AR. Sequestration of ß2-AR is defined as
the translocation of receptors to a membrane compartment that is
inaccessible to hydrophilic ligands (14). The receptor is then
dephosphorylated and can recycle back to the cell surface (15, 16). It
is hypothesized that the sequestration and recycling of the receptor
are needed to permit resensitization of ß2-AR. The third
mechanism occurs after prolonged exposure to high concentrations of
agonist. In this case, a decrease in cellular levels of
ß2-AR is observed. This causes a profound desensitization
of ß2-AR-mediated responses that is termed
down-regulation. At the molecular level, down-regulation of
ß2-AR is caused by phosphorylation of the receptor and
regulation of its messenger RNA (mRNA) level (17). Each one of the
three mechanisms of ß2-AR desensitization results in a
reduced production of the second messenger cAMP. The extent of
desensitization is, therefore, determined by the concentration of
agonist used and the duration of stimulation.
The mechanisms involved in the desensitization of AT1
receptor are not as well characterized. We previously observed that a
20-min pretreatment with 10 nM Ang II resulted in a loss of
Ang II-binding activity on bovine adrenal glomerulosa cells (18). This
loss of binding activity corresponded to a decreased affinity of the
AT1 receptor without any loss of binding sites. The lower
affinity was due to the uncoupling of AT1 receptor from its
cognate G protein. Recently, we also demonstrated that a short term
stimulation with 10 nM Ang II activates a dynamic process
in which AT1 receptor is rapidly internalized and recycled
back to the cell surface (19). AT1 receptor down-regulation
after long term stimulation with high concentrations of Ang II has been
observed in bovine adrenal cells, rat hepatocytes, and vascular smooth
muscle cells (20, 21, 22). However, the functional consequences of these
different treatments have not been directly investigated for the
AT1 receptor.
The present study was undertaken to evaluate the functional
significance of AT1 receptor desensitization in bovine
adrenal glomerulosa cells. We provide evidence that the cellular
responses elicited by AT1 receptors are resistant to short
term desensitization and that long term pretreatments with high
concentrations of Ang II are needed to desensitize
AT1-mediated cellular responses.
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Materials and Methods
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Materials
Culture media and collagenase were obtained from Life
Technologies (Grand Island, NY). Deoxyribonuclease I, Percoll, Ang II,
bradykinin (BK), and ACTH were purchased from Sigma Chemical Co. (St.
Louis, MO). Losartan and PD-123319 were generous gifts from
DuPont-Merck Research Institute (Wilmington, DE) and Parke-Davis
Warner-Lambert (Ann Arbor, MI), respectively. 125Iodine,
myo-[3H]inositol (78 Ci/mmol), [3H]adenine
(21 Ci/mmol), [3H]aldosterone (47 Ci/mmol),
[32P]deoxy-CTP (3000 Ci/mmol), and Hybond-N membrane were
obtained from Amersham (Arlington Heights, IL). AG 1-X8 and AG 50W-X8
resins were purchased from Bio-Rad (Hercules, CA). Tri Reagent was
purchased from Molecular Research Center (Cincinnati, OH), and the
oligolabeling kit was obtained from Pharmacia Biotech (Piscataway, NJ).
[125I]Ang II (1000 Ci/mmol) was prepared with Iodogen
(Pierce Chemical Co., Rockford, IL) as described by Fraker and Speck
(23). The product was purified to apparent homogeneity by HPLC (reverse
phase C18), and the specific radioactivity was determined
by displacement in the binding system. Briefly, a saturation curve with
increasing concentrations of [125I]Ang II and a
dose-displacement curve with a fixed concentration of
[125I]Ang II inhibited by increasing concentrations of
unlabeled homologous peptide were performed simultaneously, using a
bovine adrenal cortex membrane preparation. The specific radioactivity
was deduced by evaluating the amount of [125I]Ang II
necessary to obtain an occupation ratio in the saturation curve
corresponding to the occupation ratio obtained with a known amount of
unlabeled peptide in the dose-displacement curve.
Cell culture
Bovine adrenal glands were obtained at a nearby slaughterhouse.
Bovine adrenal glomerulosa cells were prepared as described by Boulay
et al. (24). Briefly, the outer 0.5-mm portion of the bovine
adrenal gland was excised with a Thomas tissue slicer (ESBE Scientific,
Markham, Ontario, Canada), then minced into 1-mm2 fragments
and digested in medium 199 containing 2 mg/ml collagenase, 0.2 mg/ml
deoxyribonuclease I, 50 U/ml penicillin, and 60 mg/ml streptomycin,
followed by mechanical dispersion with a 11-ml serological pipette.
This procedure was repeated five times. A 20% (vol/vol) Percoll
gradient was prepared by centrifugation at 35,000 x g
for 30 min at 4 C. Glomerulosa cells were then placed on the gradient
and purified by centrifugation at 500 x g for 15 min.
The cells were resuspended in DMEM and washed by centrifugation. For
culture, glomerulosa cells were suspended in DMEM supplemented with
10% (vol/vol) FBS, 1% (vol/vol) ITS-X (Life Technologies medium
supplement containing 1 g/liter insulin, 0.55 g/liter transferrin, 0.67
mg/liter sodium selenite, and 0.2 g/liter ethanolamine), 50 U/ml
penicillin, 60 mg/ml streptomycin, and 2 mM
L-glutamine and were seeded at a density of 200,000
cells/ml and cultured at 37 C in a CO2 incubator (5%
CO2-95% air). The medium was changed 24 h after
seeding and every other day until cells reached apparent confluence
(67 days).
Pretreatment with Ang II
At confluence, glomerulosa cells were washed twice with PBS (140
mM NaCl, 3.5 mM KCl, 0.9 mM
CaCl2, 0.9 mM MgCl2, 5.5
mM dextrose, and 20 mM sodium phosphate buffer,
pH 7.4) and incubated in medium 199 containing 25 mM HEPES,
0.1% BSA, and 0.01% bacitracin (pH 7.4). Incubations were performed
for the desired time at 37 C with various concentrations of Ang II.
During long term stimulations, fresh Ang II was added every 4 h.
The cells were then washed twice and incubated for 20 min in an
ice-cold acid solution (90 mM NaCl and 50 mM
sodium citrate, pH 4.5) to dissociate and remove residual Ang II (18).
Cells were then washed twice with ice-cold PBS and used for subsequent
experiments.
Binding assays
Glomerulosa cells in multiwell plates (48 wells;
300,000350,000 cells/well) were incubated in medium 199 with
[125I]Ang II (0.1 nM) at 12 C for 2 h.
Incubations were terminated by immersion of culture plates in two
successive baths containing ice-cold PBS. The cells were then
solubilized with 0.1 N NaOH, and the radioactive content
was quantified by
-counting. Nonspecific binding was determined in
the presence of 1 µM Ang II.
RNA isolation and Northern blot
Total RNA was isolated from glomerulosa cells with the use of
the single step Tri Reagent method according to the manufacturers
instructions. RNA samples were quantified by spectrophotometry, and 10
µg total RNA samples were separated by electrophoresis on 1%
denaturing formaldehyde agarose minigels (25). RNA was then transferred
to a Hybond-N hybridization membrane and immobilized by UV
cross-linking. Blots were prehybridized for at least 4 h at 42 C
in the following solution: 5% SDS (wt/vol), 400 mM
NaH2PO4, 1 mM EDTA, 50% formamide
(vol/vol), and 0.1% BSA (wt/vol). The medium was replaced with fresh
hybridization medium, and denatured 32P-labeled probe was
added. Hybridization was performed overnight at 42 C. After
hybridization, the blots were washed twice in 1 x SSC (150
mM NaCl and 15 mM sodium citrate pH 7), 0.1%
SDS (wt/vol), and 1 mM EDTA for 15 min at 52 C, followed by
two additional washes with 0.2 x SSC, 0.1% SDS (wt/vol), and 1
mM EDTA. The membranes were then autoradiographed for
5 h with Kodak BioMax film (Eastman Kodak, Rochester, NY) at -80
C. Results were quantified with the use of a GS-250 Molecular Imager
(Bio-Rad).
The complementary DNA (cDNA) used to prepare the AT1
receptor probe corresponded to entire codant region of the human
AT1 receptor. The probes were prepared with a random
priming oligolabeling kit using [32P]deoxy-CTP.
Unincorporated label was removed by gel filtration on a Sephadex G-50,
DNA grade column.
Inositol phosphate production
Labeling of adrenal glomerulosa cells was performed in multiwell
plates (24 wells; 450,000500,000 cells/well) according to the method
of Balla et al. (26) with some modifications. Briefly, the
culture medium was replaced with inositol-free DMEM containing 5
µCi/ml myo-[3H]inositol. In desensitization
experiments, Ang II was added simultaneously with
myo-[3H]inositol for different periods of time. After a
24-h labeling period, cells were washed twice with ice-cold PBS and
subjected to a 20-min acid wash, followed by two subsequent washes with
ice-cold PBS. Cells were then incubated in medium 199 containing 20
mM LiCl, 25 mM HEPES, 0.1% BSA, and 0.01%
bacitracin with 1 µM Ang II for 10 min at 37 C.
Incubations were stopped with perchloric acid (5%, vol/vol). Cells
were scraped and centrifuged at 15,000 x g for 5 min.
Pellets were kept to evaluate total cellular membrane labeling.
Inositol phosphates were extracted from the supernatant with an equal
volume of a mixture of 1,1,2-trichlorotrifluoroethane and
tri-n-octylamine (1:1). The samples were vigorously mixed
and centrifuged at 15,000 x g for 1 min. The upper
phase containing the inositol phosphates was applied to a AG 1-X8 resin
column. Inositol phosphates were sequentially eluted by the addition of
ammonium formate-formic acid mixtures of increasing ionic strength, as
described by Berridge et al. (27).
cAMP determination
Intracellular cAMP levels were determined by measuring the
conversion of [3H]ATP to [3H]cAMP,
according to the method of Weiss et al. (28). Briefly, cells
cultured in 35-mm2 culture dishes (1.5 x
106 cells/dish) were incubated at 37 C in medium 199
containing 2 µCi/ml [3H]adenine. In desensitization
experiments, Ang II was added before or simultaneously with
[3H]adenine for different periods of time. After a 3-h
labeling period, cells were washed twice with ice-cold HBS (130
mM NaCl, 3.5 mM KCl, 1.8 mM
CaCl2, 1 mM MgCl2, 5.0
mM HEPES, 0.5 mM EGTA, and 5.5 mM
dextrose, pH 7.4) and subjected to a 20-min acid wash, followed by two
subsequent washes with ice-cold HBS. Cells were equilibrated in HBS
containing 0.1% BSA (wt/vol), 0.01% bacitracin (wt/vol), and 1
mM isobutylmethylxanthine for 15 min at 37 C. Cells were
then preincubated with Ang II (1 µM) for 15 min at 37 C,
followed by a final stimulation with ACTH (1 µM) for 15
min at 37 C. The reaction was stopped with ice-cold perchloric acid
(5%, vol/vol). Cells were then removed with a rubber scraper, and 100
µl of a solution containing 5 mM ATP and 5 mM
cAMP were added to the mixture. Cellular membranes were pelleted at
5000 x g for 15 min, and the supernatants were
sequentially chromatographed on AG 50W-X8 resin and alumina columns,
which allowed separation of [3H]ATP from
[3H]cAMP. Formation of cAMP was expressed as the percent
conversion of ATP to cAMP =
([3H]cAMP/[3H]cAMP + [3H]ATP)
x 100.
Aldosterone production
After desensitization, cells in multiwell plates (24 wells) were
incubated in PBS medium containing 0.1% (wt/vol) BSA and 0.01%
bacitracin for 30 min at 37 C. The medium was then replaced with fresh
medium containing 1 µM Ang II. After 2 h at 37 C,
the aldosterone released into the medium was measured by RIA (29).
Data analysis
Experimental data resulting from representative experiments with
different cell preparations are expressed as the mean ±
SD of triplicate values. When the error bar is not seen,
the symbol is larger than the error. Binding data were analyzed by both
the Scatchard plot method and the curve-fitting program Ligand, using
weighted nonlinear least squares to find the values for each parameter
that minimized the weighted sum of the squares (30). The extra sum of
squares test (F statistic test) was used to compare the aptness of the
fit to models of one and two classes of receptors. When needed, the
experimental data were analyzed by use of Students t test.
P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
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Results
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Down-regulation of the AT1 receptor
Bovine adrenal glomerulosa cells were pretreated with 1
µM Ang II for 30 min at 37 C and washed in an
acid solution, and [125I]Ang II binding was
evaluated by dose-displacement experiments at 12 C for 2 h. Under
these conditions, we observed that the binding activity was
significantly reduced by 48.1 ± 7.5% compared with that in
untreated cells (Fig. 1A
). Figure 1B
shows Scatchard analysis of the dose displacement data. When the
binding data were analyzed by the Ligand program, the only model that
was significantly relevant was the one-site fit model
(P < 0.05). For control cells, the analysis yielded a
linear plot showing a single population of receptors with an apparent
affinity of 2.7 ± 0.8 nM and a binding capacity
(Bmax) of 83 fmol/well. When a two-site model was
tested for the same data, a high affinity site with a Kd1
of 0.4 nM and a Bmax1 of 18
fmol/well, and a low affinity site with a Kd2 of 2.9
nM and a Bmax2 of 78 fmol/well were suggested.
However, the F statistic test revealed that experimental data cannot
accommodate the two-site fit model (P = 0.1140). These
data indicate that although the AT1 receptor may exist
under two affinity states, as previously reported in bovine glomerulosa
cells (18), it is sometimes difficult, depending on specific cell
preparations or culture conditions, to resolve these two affinity
states. This problem was thoroughly discussed in a recent publication
by DeBlasi (31).

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Figure 1. Effect of pretreatment of bovine adrenal
glomerulosa cells with 1 µM Ang II for 30 min on
[125I]Ang II binding. A, Cells were incubated without
(open circles) or with (solid circles) 1
µM Ang II for 30 min at 37 C. After an acid wash (pH
4.5), cells were incubated with [125I]Ang II (0.1
nM) and increasing concentrations of unlabeled Ang II for
2 h at 12 C. Nonspecific binding was evaluated in the presence of
1 µM Ang II. Each point represents the
mean ± SD of data determined in triplicate. B,
Scatchard analysis of the same experimental data. Similar results were
obtained with three different cell preparations.
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The most striking effect of pretreating the cells with 1
µM Ang II, was a significant decrease of 53.0 ±
6.1% in their total receptor number, without a significant change in
their apparent affinity for Ang II. These results suggest that under
these conditions, pretreatment of bovine adrenal glomerulosa cells with
1 µM Ang II for 30 min at 37 C reduces the number of cell
surface receptors. To further characterize this phenomenon, we
performed experiments in which cells were pretreated with 1
µM Ang II for different periods of time before evaluation
of maximal [125I]Ang II binding by Scatchard analysis.
Figure 2
shows that pretreatment with 1
µM Ang II caused a rapid and time-dependent decrease in
cell surface receptors. The t1/2 of this loss was 20 min,
and a maximal loss of 76.4 ± 7.7% was attained after 14 h.
These results suggest a down-regulation of AT1 receptor. As
in many cases receptor down-regulation has been attributed to a loss of
cell surface receptors and a decreased expression of receptor mRNA, we
evaluated the effect of pretreatment of glomerulosa cells with 1
µM Ang II on AT1 receptor mRNA levels. The
representative autoradiogram shown in Fig. 3
indicates that exposure of glomerulosa
cells to 1 µM Ang II for 1224 h markedly reduced
(58.0 ± 8.6%) their content of AT1 receptor mRNA.
Interestingly, the level of glyceraldehyde phosphate dehydrogenase
(GAPDH) message increased by 200 ± 29% during the same
treatment. Increased GAPDH message was also observed after prolonged
treatment of vascular smooth muscle cells with high concentrations of
Ang II (22, 32). Gel loading in our experiments was uniform, as the
amount of total ribosomal RNA evaluated by methylene blue coloration
was similar in each lane (data not shown). These results suggest that
long term stimulations with high concentrations of Ang II (1
µM) cause down-regulation of AT1
receptor.

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Figure 2. Time dependency of AT1 cell surface
receptor loss after pretreatment with 1 µM Ang II. Cells
were incubated at 37 C with 1 µM Ang II for different
periods of time. After an acid wash (pH 4.5), cells were incubated with
[125I]Ang II (0.1 nM) and increasing
concentrations of unlabeled Ang II for 2 h at 12 C. Nonspecific
binding was evaluated in the presence of 1 µM Ang II. The
Bmax was calculated from Scatchard analysis of the binding
data. 100% represents the maximal binding capacity of untreated cells.
Each point represents the mean ± SD of
three different experiments with different cell preparations.
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Figure 3. Effect of pretreatment of bovine adrenal
glomerulosa cells with 1 µM Ang II on AT1
receptor mRNA levels. Shown is a representative Northern blot
hybridization autoradiogram of cells that were incubated with 1
µM Ang II for the indicated periods of time at 37 C.
Experiments were performed with 10 µg total RNA, and membranes were
hybridized with an AT1 receptor cDNA probe
(top) or a GAPDH cDNA probe (bottom).
Results were then quantified with the use of a GS-250 Molecular Imager.
Similar results were obtained with three different cell preparations.
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Desensitization of inositol phosphate production
As phospholipase C is the primary effector linked to
AT1 receptor activation, we then studied the effect of a
pretreatment with Ang II on inositol phosphate production by
glomerulosa cells. Figure 4
shows that
short pretreatment periods (up to 30 min) did not reduce Ang II-induced
InsP3 production by glomerulosa cells. A slight elevation
of InsP3 production was observed after the first few
minutes of pretreatment. This elevation was possibly due to increased
incorporation of myo-[3H]inositol in cells, as shown in
the inset of Fig. 4
. However, longer pretreatment periods
(between 30 min and 24 h) caused a gradual reduction of Ang
II-induced InsP3 production, with a t1/2 of
approximately 9 h and a maximal desensitizing effect of 83.1
± 4.9% after 24 h. Dose-response experiments revealed that when
cells were pretreated for 24 h with low concentrations of Ang II,
a slight increase in Ang II-induced InsP3 production was
observed (Fig. 5
). This increase was also
possibly due to the increased incorporation of
myo-[3H]inositol (Fig. 5
, inset). Pretreatment
with Ang II concentrations ranging from 0.1 nM to 1
µM, caused a gradual decrease in Ang II-induced
InsP3 production. The half-maximal effect was obtained with
a concentration of 90 ± 5.4 nM Ang II. An important
reduction of Ang II-induced InsP3 production capacity
(83.7 ± 5.6%) was observed after a 24-h pretreatment with 1
µM Ang II. These results show that desensitization of Ang
II-induced phospholipase C activation necessitates long term
pretreatment with high concentrations of Ang II.

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Figure 4. Effect of pretreatment of bovine adrenal
glomerulosa cells with 1 µM Ang II on Ang II-induced
inositol phosphate production. Cells were labeled with
myo-[3H]inositol and pretreated with 1 µM
Ang II at 37 C for different periods of time. After an acid wash (pH
4.5), cells were stimulated with 1 µM Ang II for 10 min
at 37 C, and their InsP3 content was quantified. Results
are expressed as total [3H]InsP3 production
over the basal level. The inset represents the total
amount of tritium associated with cellular pellets; this reflects the
level of incorporation of myo-[3H]inositol in membrane
phospholipids. Each point represents the mean ±
SD of data determined in triplicate. Similar results were
obtained with three different cell preparations.
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Figure 5. Dose-dependent desensitization of Ang II-induced
inositol phosphate production by bovine adrenal glomerulosa cells.
Cells were labeled with myo-[3H]inositol and pretreated
for 24 h at 37 C with increasing concentrations of Ang II. After
an acid wash (pH 4.5), cells were stimulated with 1 µM
Ang II for 10 min at 37 C, and their InsP3 content was
quantified. Results are expressed as total
[3H]InsP3 production over the basal level.
The inset represents the total amount of tritium
associated with cellular pellets. It reflects the level of
incorporation of myo-[3H]inositol in membrane
phospholipids. Each point represents the mean ±
SD of data determined in triplicate. Similar results were
obtained with three different cell preparations.
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To determine whether pretreatment with 1 µM Ang II for
24 h caused homologous or heterologous desensitization of
phospholipase C, we studied the effects of NaF, a direct G protein
activator, and of BK, a known activator of phospholipase C, in bovine
adrenal glomerulosa cells.5
Figure 6
shows that pretreatment of
adrenal glomerulosa cells for 24 h with 1 µM Ang II
did not reduce but, rather, increased NaF- and BK-induced
InsP3 production, suggesting a homologous desensitization
of AT1-mediated inositol phosphate production. As
previously discussed, the increased InsP3 production by Ang
II-desensitized cells is probably related to increased incorporation of
myo-[3H]inositol resulting from an increased turnover of
phosphoinositides during the pretreatment with Ang II.

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Figure 6. Homologous desensitization of Ang II-induced
inositol phosphate production. Cells were labeled with
myo-[3H]inositol and pretreated for 24 h at 37 C
with 1 µM Ang II. After an acid wash (pH 4.5), cells were
stimulated for 10 min at 37 C with 1 µM Ang II, 30
mM NaF, or 1 µM BK, and their
InsP3 content was quantified. Results are expressed as
total [3H]InsP3 production over the basal
level. Each bar represents the mean ±
SD of data determined in triplicate. Similar results were
obtained with three different cell preparations.
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Desensitization of the potentiating effect of Ang II on
ACTH-induced cAMP production
Ang II is known to potentiate ACTH-induced cAMP production (33).
We evaluated the susceptibility of this effect to a desensitizing
pretreatment with Ang II. The results shown in Fig. 7
demonstrate that although Ang II alone
did not significantly increase the production of cAMP, it very
significantly potentiated the effect of ACTH (443 ± 35%). After
cells were subjected to a 24-h desensitizing pretreatment with 1
µM Ang II, the potentiating effect of Ang II on
ACTH-induced cAMP production was completely abolished. This
desensitizing pretreatment with Ang II did not affect the response to
ACTH alone. Interestingly, a 24-h desensitizing pretreatment with 10
nM Ang II did not noticeably reduce the potentiating effect
of Ang II on ACTH-induced cAMP production. We also verified that a
short term desensitizing pretreatment (up to 4 h) with 1
µM Ang II did not significantly reduce the potentiating
effect of Ang II on ACTH-induced cAMP production (data not shown).
These results demonstrate again that AT1 receptor-mediated
cellular responses of bovine glomerulosa cells are very resistant to
desensitization by Ang II.

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Figure 7. Effect of pretreatment of bovine adrenal
glomerulosa cells with 1 µM Ang II on the potentiating
effect of Ang II on ACTH-induced cAMP production. Cells were pretreated
for 24 h at 37 C with 1 µM or 10 nM Ang
II and labeled with [3H]adenine for 3 h. After an
acid wash (pH 4.5), 2 mM isobutylmethylxanthine was added
for 15 min, and cells were preincubated for 15 min at 37 C with Ang II
(1 µM), followed by a final stimulation for 15 min at 37
C with 1 µM ACTH. Cells were lysed, and their
[3H]cAMP production was quantified as described in
Materials and Methods. Each bar
represents the mean ± SD of data determined in
triplicate. Similar results were obtained with three different cell
preparations.
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Desensitization of aldosterone production
The ultimate response of adrenal glomerulosa cells to Ang II
stimulation is the production and secretion of aldosterone. Figure 8
shows that a 2-h stimulation of adrenal
glomerulosa cells with 1 µM Ang II increased aldosterone
production by approximately 6.5-fold. After cells were subjected to a
24-h desensitizing pretreatment with 1 µM Ang II, their
steroidogenic response to Ang II was significantly reduced by 47.3
± 5.2%. The basal level of aldosterone production was not
significantly altered by the desensitizing pretreatment (data not
shown). When cells were desensitized for 24 h with 10
nM Ang II, no significant reduction in Ang II-induced
aldosterone production was observed. These results indicate that long
term pretreatment with high concentrations of Ang II is needed to
desensitize bovine adrenal glomerulosa cells to the steroidogenic
effect of Ang II.

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Figure 8. Desensitization of bovine adrenal glomerulosa
cells to the steroidogenic effect of Ang II. Cells were pretreated for
24 h at 37 C with 1 µM or 10 nM Ang II.
After an acid wash (pH 4.5), cells were stimulated for 2 h at 37 C
with 1 µM Ang II. Cell medium was then removed and
assayed for aldosterone by RIA. Results are expressed as the total
aldosterone content. Each bar represents the mean
± SD of data determined in triplicate. Similar results
were obtained with three different cell preparations.
|
|
 |
Discussion
|
|---|
Agonist-induced desensitization is a property shared by many G
protein-coupled receptors, and several molecular mechanisms are
apparently involved in this process. The desensitization mechanisms
have been extensively studied for the rhodopsin and
ß2-adrenergic systems. However, little is known about the
mechanisms involved in agonist-induced desensitization of the
AT1 receptor.
In this study, we demonstrated that a pretreatment of bovine adrenal
glomerulosa cells with a high concentration of Ang II (1
µM) caused a rapid loss of cell surface receptors. This
phenomenon is different from the uncoupling and
internalization-recycling pathways previously observed in our
laboratory when adrenal glomerulosa cells were stimulated with a lower
concentration of Ang II (10 nM) (18, 19). Although our
experiments were performed under conditions where recycling is
possible, in this study we demonstrated that recycling is not likely to
occur or at least it does not play a significant role at these higher
concentrations of Ang II, as we invariably observed an important
time-dependent loss of cell surface receptors. We also demonstrated
that this pretreatment with high concentrations of Ang II caused a
reduction of total AT1 receptor mRNA. These are
characteristic features of receptor down-regulation, as demonstrated
for the ß2-adrenergic receptor (17). Other studies have
previously reported that Ang II down-regulates its own binding sites in
cultured hepatocytes, vascular smooth muscle cells, and adrenal
fasciculata cells (20, 21, 22). In vascular smooth muscle cells, it was
also previously shown that Ang II down-regulates AT1
receptor mRNA (22, 32). In adrenal fasciculata-reticularis cells, Ang
II-induced AT1 receptor mRNA down-regulation was also
observed, at a rate similar to that seen in adrenal glomerulosa cells
(34, 35).
The functional significance of a desensitizing pretreatment with Ang II
was investigated on the production of second messengers. We
demonstrated that long term pretreatments with high concentrations of
Ang II were necessary to desensitize inositol phosphate production in
bovine adrenal glomerulosa cells. Interestingly, even if an important
decrease of about 50% of the total AT1 receptors was
observed after a 30-min stimulation, Ang II-induced InsP3
production was not significantly disrupted. It was previously shown
that in cellular models in which AT1 receptor had been
transfected, second messenger production could be rapidly desensitized
in the first few minutes of stimulation (36, 37). These discrepant
results could be due to the large amount of spare AT1
receptors expressed by adrenal glomerulosa cells. They could also be
due to differential cell expression of elements involved in the
mechanism of desensitization. These results show that although the
transfected cell system represents a useful tool to study cellular
mechanisms, it may not reliably reflect the actual mechanisms present
in cells endogenously expressing AT1 receptor.
It has been shown that a short term pretreatment with Ang II
potentiates ACTH-induced cAMP production in bovine fasciculata and
glomerulosa cells (33, 38). Protein kinase C and the
Ca2+/calmodulin-activated protein phosphatase calcineurin
were suggested to be involved in this phenomenon. In the present study,
we evaluated the susceptibility of this pathway to desensitization
after pretreatment with Ang II. We showed that long term pretreatments
with 1 µM Ang II were necessary to desensitize the
potentiating effect of Ang II on ACTH-induced cAMP production. As was
the case for the production of inositol phosphates, these results
indicated that the AT1 receptor-activated cellular
signaling is relatively resistant to agonist-induced
desensitization.
The ultimate cellular response evoked by Ang II in adrenal glomerulosa
cells is the production and secretion of aldosterone. We showed that
aldosterone production and secretion are relatively resistant to
desensitization, as pretreatments with high concentrations of Ang II
(0.11.0 µM) were necessary to reduce Ang II-induced
aldosterone production. Penhoat et al. (20) also
demonstrated that a long term pretreatment with high concentrations of
Ang II was necessary to importantly reduce steroidogenesis in bovine
adrenocortical cells (20). Considering how essential aldosterone is in
the maintenance of electrolyte balance, it is not surprising and
somehow reassuring to realize that the mechanism used by the most
important stimulator of its production (Ang II) is relatively resistant
to agonist-induced desensitization.
Desensitization of G protein-coupled receptors has been shown to be
homologous (affecting only the responses mediated by the stimulated
receptor) or heterologous (affecting the responses mediated by other
receptors) (39). In this study we demonstrated that long term
pretreatment with Ang II caused a homologous desensitization, as
BK-induced cellular signaling was not affected. It is important to
mention that the amount of B2 receptors expressed by
adrenal glomerulosa cells is very low compared with that of
AT1 receptors, and furthermore, B2 receptors
are very rapidly desensitized after stimulation (see Footnote 1). It is
interesting to note that a low abundance receptor that uses the same
transduction mechanism as the AT1 receptor is not affected
by the severe long term pretreatment with high concentrations of Ang
II. We also showed that long term pretreatments with high
concentrations of Ang II did not affect ACTH-induced cAMP production,
ruling out another possible mechanism of heterologous desensitization.
These results demonstrate that under conditions where an activating
mechanism for aldosterone production is severely desensitized, adrenal
glomerulosa cells are still perfectly responsive to other steroidogenic
stimuli.
Taken together, the results of the study and of previous studies from
our laboratory (18, 19) indicate that he regulation of the
AT1 receptor proceeds through at least three different
mechanisms of desensitization. The three mechanisms are similar to
those reported for ß2-AR (13), which include uncoupling
of the receptor from its G protein, internalization-recycling of the
receptor (under mild short term stimulation), and down-regulation of
the receptor (under intense long term stimulation). In bovine adrenal
glomerulosa cells, however, the only mechanism that substantially
reduces the production of intracellular messengers and the ultimate
production of aldosterone is receptor down-regulation obtained with
high concentrations of Ang II. Experiments are currently underway in
our laboratory to better characterize the molecular mechanisms involved
in AT1 receptor desensitization and their influence on
cellular responses.
In conclusion, we have identified conditions under which the
AT1 receptor can undergo down-regulation in bovine adrenal
glomerulosa cells. This pathway causes an important decrease in the
production of intracellular messengers. This study provides evidence
that glomerulosa cells are functionally resistant to short term
desensitization of the AT1 receptor and that long term
down-regulation with high concentrations of Ang II is needed to
desensitize AT1-mediated cellular responses.
 |
Acknowledgments
|
|---|
The authors thank Dr. Alain Bélanger (Centre Hospitalier
de lUniversité Laval, Quebec, Canada) for the generous gift of
antialdosterone antibody.
 |
Footnotes
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|---|
1 This work was supported by grants from the Medical Research Council
of Canada and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Quebec. This work is
part of the Ph.D. thesis of D.E.R. 
2 Recipient of a studentship from the Heart and Stroke Foundation of
Canada. 
3 Scholar from the Fonds de la Recherche en Santé du
Québec. 
4 Recipient of a Medical Research Council of Canada Scientist
Award. 
5 Chrétien, L., D. Richard, S. N.
Poirier, and G. Guillemette, manuscript submitted for
publication. 
Received March 13, 1997.
 |
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