Gene expression of energy and protein metabolism in hearts of hypertensive nitric oxide- or GSH-depleted mice

Hypertension demands cardiac synthetic and metabolic adaptations to increased afterload. We studied gene expression in two models of mild hypertension without overt left ventricular hypertrophy using the NO synthase inhibitor nitro-l-arginine (l-NNA) and the glutathione depletor buthionine-S,R-sulfoximine (BSO). Mice were administered l-NNA, BSO, or water for 8 weeks. RNA of left ventricles was pooled per group, reverse transcribed, Cy3 and Cy5 labeled, and hybridized to cDNA microarrays. Normalized log ₂ Cy3/Cy5 ratios of ≥ 0.7 or ≤ -0.7 were considered significant. l-NNA and BSO both caused hypertension. Gene expression was regulated in cytoskeletal components in both models, protein synthesis in l-NNA-treated mice, and energy metabolism in BSO-treated mice. Energy metabolism genes shared several common transcription factor-binding sites such as Coup-Tf2, of which gene expression was increased in BSO-treated mice, and COMP-1. Characterization of the left ventricular adaptations as assessed with gene expression profiles reveals differential expression in energy and protein metabolism related to the pathogenetic background of the hypertension.