Bradykinin Protects Against Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cell Death Induced by Pathophysiological Stimuli

The morphological and functional integrity of the microcirculation is compromised in many cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, stroke, and sepsis. Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi), which are known to favor bradykinin (BK) bioactivity by reducing its metabolism, may have a positive impact on preventing the microvascular structural rarefaction that occurs in these diseases. Our study was designed to test the hypothesis that BK, via B2 receptors (B2R), protects the viability of the microvascular endothelium exposed to the necrotic and apoptotic cell death inducers H2O2 and LPS independently of hemodynamics. Expression (RT‐PCR and radioligand binding) and functional (calcium mobilization with fura‐2AM, and p42/p44MAPK and Akt phosphorylation assays) experiments revealed the presence of functional B2R in pig cerebral microvascular endothelial cells (pCMVEC). In vitro results showed that the cytocidal effects of H2O2 and LPS on pCMVEC were significantly decreased by a BK pretreatment (MTT and crystal violet tests, annexin‐V staining/FACS analysis), which was countered by the B2R antagonist HOE 140. BK treatment coincided with enhanced expression of the cytoprotective proteins COX‐2, Bcl‐2, and Cu/ZnSOD. Ex vivo assays on rat brain explants showed that BK impeded (by ∼40%) H2O2‐induced microvascular degeneration (lectin‐FITC staining). The present study proposes a novel role for BK in microvascular endothelial protection, which may be pertinent to the complex mechanism of action of ACEi explaining their long‐term beneficial effects in maintaining vascular integrity. J. Cell. Physiol. 222:168–176, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.