Developmental stage-specific involvement of angiotensin in murine nephrogenesis

Angiotensinogen-deleted mice (Agt-KO) show phenotypes of hypotension and renal atrophy. To investigate whether an alternative pathway other than angiotensin II (AII), i.e., processed angiotensin fragments, may play a biological role in nephrogenesis, we analyzed a congenic line of Agt-KO fetuses and neonates derived from two sources: one (Agt-KO/He) from mating with heterozygous angiotensinogen-deleted mice and the other (Agt-KO/Ho) from mating homozygous angiotensinogen-deleted mice. Although Agt-KO/He did not show a typical phenotype at birth, these mice showed papillary atrophy 2 weeks later and thereafter, a marked increase in renal size, i.e., pelvic dilatation. In contrast, Agt-KO/Ho showed renal abnormalities at birth and subsequently died. TUNEL staining and electron microscopy revealed that accelerated papillary apoptosis was present at birth in Agt-KO/Ho and caused abnormal papillary development; however, apoptosis was not detected in Agt-KO/He, suggesting that different mechanisms for the abnormal renal development exist in Agt-KO/He and Agt-KO/Ho. Two-week administration of an angiotensin fragment (3–8), angiotensin IV (AIV), to Agt-KO/He markedly attenuated the renal atrophy, decreasing the incidence from 81% to 14%. However, administration of AIV to fetal Agt-KO/Ho through the mother did not decrease the incidence. This is marked contrast to AII, which prevented renal atrophy in both fetal and neonatal periods. It is therefore suggested that AIV is involved in nephrogenesis in a developmental stage-specific manner. Received: 2 September 1998 / Revised: 22 December 1998 / Accepted: 1 February 1999