MYOCARDIAL ANGIOTENSIN RECEPTOR-TYPE-1 GENE-EXPRESSION IN A RAT MODELOF CARDIAC VOLUME OVERLOAD

To investigate the regulation of the angiotensin receptor type 1 (AT1) in different organs in cardiac volume overload, we measured AT1 mRNA content in the atria, left and right ventricle, kidney and liver of ra ts with an aortocaval shunt, produced by infrarenal aortocaval punctur e 4 weeks earlier. For angiotensin receptor mRNA quantitation a novel quantitative PCR procedure based on liquid phase hybridization was use d that allowed the determination of absolute AT1 mRNA copy numbers and its comparison in different organs. Glyceraldehydephosphate dehydroge nase (GAPDH) mRNA was measured by RT-PCR to control externally equal m RNA content and quality of RNA extraction in shunt animals and control s.