The role of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) in the metabolism of bradykinin (BK) has been studied in several tissues. However, and contrary to angiotensin I, the metabolism of BK at the cardiac level has not been investigated. In this study, we define the participation of ACE in the carboxy-terminal degradation of BK in heart membranes of the dog, human, rabbit, and rat. The calculation of ...

Bradykinin (BK) is an inflammatory mediator that can evoke oedema and vasodilatation, and is a potent algogen signalling via the B1 and B2 G-protein coupled receptors. In naïve skin, BK is effective via constitutively expressed B2 receptors (B2R), while B1 receptors (B1R) are purported to be upregulated by inflammation. The aim of this investigation was to optimise BK delivery to investigate th...

BACKGROUND BK polyomavirus-associated nephropathy is an important cause of post-transplantation renal failure. We present two cases of BK polyomavirus-associated nephropathy who were submitted to contrasting strategies of clinical follow-up to BK polyomavirus reactivation, but progressed to a similar final outcome. CASE PRESENTATION Case 1 is a 37-year-old white man whose graft had never pres...

Bradykinin (BK) has been implicated in the regulation of renal function. Activation of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK1/2) has been demonstrated in several models of toxic or proliferative renal injury. We studied activation of ERK1/2 by BK in a cell model of the most distal part of the nephron, inner medullary collecting duct (mIMCD-3) cells. Exposure of mIMCD-3 cells to BK ...

The large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (BK) channel is broadly expressed in various mammalian cells and tissues such as neurons, skeletal and smooth muscles, exocrine cells, and sensory cells of the inner ear. Previous studies suggest that BK channels are promiscuous binders involved in a multitude of protein-protein interactions. To gain a better understanding of the potential mechanisms unde...

Large-conductance voltage- and calcium-activated potassium (BK) channels have been shown to play a role in detrusor overactivity (DO). The goal of this study was to determine whether bladder outlet obstruction-induced DO is associated with downregulation of BK channels and whether BK channels affect myosin light chain 20 (MLC(20)) phosphorylation in detrusor smooth muscle (DSM). Partial bladder...

Estrogen replacement therapies have been suggested to be beneficial in alleviating symptoms of overactive bladder. However, the precise regulatory mechanisms of estrogen in urinary bladder smooth muscle (UBSM) at the cellular level remain unknown. Large conductance voltage- and Ca2+-activated K+ (BK) channels, which are key regulators of UBSM function, are suggested to be non-genomic targets of...

BACKGROUND Exposure of patients with atopic asthma to allergens produces a long term increase in exhaled nitric oxide (FENO), probably reflecting inducible NO synthase (NOS) expression. In contrast, bradykinin (BK) rapidly reduces FENO. It is unknown whether BK suppresses increased FENO production after allergen exposure in asthma, and whether it modulates FENO via NOS inhibition. METHODS Lev...

Neuronal calcium-activated potassium channels of the BK type are activated by membrane depolarization and intracellular Ca(2+) ions. It has been suggested that these channels may play a key neuroprotective role during and after brain ischemia, but this hypothesis has so far not been tested by selective BK-channel manipulations in vivo. To elucidate the in vivo contribution of neuronal BK channe...

Activation of the renal kallikrein-kinin system results in natriuresis and diuresis, suggesting its possible role in renal tubular sodium transport regulation. Here, we used patch-clamp electrophysiology to directly assess the effects of bradykinin (BK) on the epithelial Na(+) channel (ENaC) activity in freshly isolated split-opened murine aldosterone-sensitive distal nephrons (ASDNs). BK acute...