Angiotensin-converting enzyme I and its role in cardiovascular complications of diabetes

• Grant number: 99/11984-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: March 01, 2000
• End date: February 28, 2002
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Physiology - Physiology of Organs and Systems
• Principal Investigator: José Eduardo Krieger
• Grantee: Andrea Sterman Heimann
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina (FM). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 95/04668-6 - Physiological bases of hypertension: integrated study, AP.TEM

Abstract

Objectives: To study the cardiovascular phenotypes in wild (+/+), heterozygous (+/-) and insertional (+/++) mice for the ACE gene with induced diabetes mellitus.Methods: 1.Animals:male (C57BL/6J) mice with 3 genotipes (+/+;+/-;+/++) will be used. Three-week-old mice will be randomised into control (nondiabetic -ND) or diabetic groups (D). They will be feed or not with an atherogenic diet (CD or AD-Bio-Serve). Mice will be made diabetic at 7 weeks of age by injection of streptozotocin (STZ-150 mg/kg body weight). 2.Protocol: weekly measurements of tail-cuff blood pressure (BP), blood glucose (BG), body weight (BW), chow consumption (CC) will be done from 7 until 20 weeks of agè. After 20 weeks, blood will be collected for insulin determination. Afterwards, mice will be anaesthetized and perfused with paraformaldehyde, and the heart, the aorta and the kidney will be removed for hystological studies. 3.Morphometric Analysis: the proximal aorta and kidney will be evaluated for lumen and lesion size. Discussion: In this study we expect that mice with insertion of the ACE gene are more susceptible to cardiovascular alteration than heterozygous mice. (AU)