Avaliação do efeito cardiovascular e antihipertensivo de peptídeos sintéticos similares às hipotensinas

Abstract

Hypertension is a public health problem, and even after discovering various antihypertensive drugs, there are still patients that do not respond effectively to current treatments. A new class to be studied is the non-canonical Bradykinin Potentiating Peptides (BPPs). Unlike the canonical BPPs that are inhibitors of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACEi), the non-canonical BPPs act as B2 receptor agonists, enhancing the physiological effects of bradykinin (BK), an endogenous peptide responsible, among other effects, for regulating blood pressure. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cardiovascular effects of a synthetic peptide similar to the KPP peptide, a non-canonical BPP, with its Nterminal acetylated and C-terminal amidated (H3CO-Lys-Pro-Pro-NH2 or acKPPam). Using ex vivo vascular reactivity assays, it was verified that the peptide induces vasodilating in nitric oxide- and endothelium-dependent manner. In vivo antihypertensive assay was also done, where it was possible to verify that the acKPPam peptide has antihypertensive activity. Thus, the acKPPam peptide has the potential to serve as a model for future development of a new class of antihypertensive drugs.