Role of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 and angiotensin(1-7) in 17β-oestradiol regulation of renal pathology in renal wrap hypertension in rats

17 beta-Oestradiol (E-2)-mediated inhibition of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) protects the E-2-replete kidney from the progression of hypertensive renal disease. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), a homologue of ACE, counters the actions of ACE by catalysing the conversion of angiotensin II (Ang II) to angiotensin(1-7) [Ang(1-7)]. We investigated E-2 regulation of ACE2 in the renal wrap (RW) model of hypertension in rats. After 6 weeks on a high-sodium diet (4% NaCl), the activity of ACE2 was reduced in the renal cortex by 31%, which was mirrored by similar decreases in ACE2 protein (30%) and mRNA expression (36%) in the ovariectomized RW rat (RW-OVX); E-2 replacement prevented these effects. The RW-OVX rats exhibited greater renal injury, including 1.7-fold more tubulointerstitial fibrosis and 1.6-fold more glomerulosclerosis than E-2-replete females (RW-Intact and RW-OVX+E-2). Angiotensin(1-7) infusion prevented these exacerbating effects of ovariectomy on renal pathology; no differences in indicators of renal injury were observed between RW-OVX-Ang(1-7) and RW-Intact rats. These renal protective effects of Ang(1-7) infusion were not attributable to increased ACE2 activity or to changes in heart rate or body weight, since these parameters were unchanged by Ang(1-7) infusion. Furthermore, Ang(1-7) infusion did not attenuate renal injury by reducing mean arterial pressure (MAP), since infusion of the peptide did not lower MAP but rather caused a slight increase during a 6 week chronic treatment for Ang(1-7). These results suggest that E-2-mediated upregulation of renal ACE2 and the consequent increased Ang(1-7) production contribute to E-2-mediated protection from hypertensive renal disease. These findings have implications for E-2-deficient women with hypertensive renal disease and suggest that therapeutics targeted towards increasing ACE2 activity and Ang(1-7) levels will be renal protective.