HUMAN ANGIOTENSINOGEN IS HIGHLY EXPRESSED IN ASTROCYTES IN HUMAN CORTICAL GRAFTS

Human fetal parietal cortical tissue was transplanted to cortical cavi ties in immunosuppressed rats. Protoplasmic astrocytes in the human co rtical grafts highly expressed human angiotensinogen mRNA as identifie d with S-35-labeled and digoxigenin-labeled riboprobes combined with i mmunohistochemistry for glial fibrillary acidic protein. Antibodies to human specific neurofilament protein 70 KD were used to characterize neurons in the graft and fiber outgrowth into the host brain. Immunohi stochemistry revealed human angiotensinogen-like immunoreactivity in m any small protoplasmic astrocytes and very few large neurons. These re sults demonstrate that human angiotensinogen mRNA and protein is synth esized in immature human glia. We assume that angiotensinogen is trans formed into angiotensin peptides, which may participate in the regulat ion of growth processes. The results suggest that human angiotensinoge n may play a role during human embryogenesis. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc .