Elastase-2, an angiotensin II-generating enzyme, contributes to increased Ang II in resistance arteries of mice with myocardial infarction.

Angiotensin II (Ang II), whose generation largely depends on angiotensin-converting enzyme activity, mediates most of the renin-angiotensin-system effects. Elastase-2 (ELA-2), a chymotrypsin-serine protease elastase family member 2A, alternatively generates Ang II in rat arteries. Myocardial infarction (MI) leads to intense RAS activation, but mechanisms involved on Ang II-generation in resistance arteries are unknown. We hypothesized that ELA-2 contributes to vascular Ang II generation and to cardiac damage in mice submitted to MI. Concentration-effect curves to Ang I and Ang II were performed in mesenteric resistance arteries from male wild type (WT) and ELA-2 knockout (ELA-2KO) mice submitted to left anterior descending coronary artery ligation (myocardial infarction, MI). MI size was similar in WT (29.5 ± 9 %) and ELA-2KO (32 ± 4%) mice. Ejection fraction and fractional shortening after MI similarly decreased in both strains. However, MI decreased stroke volume and cardiac output in WT, but not in ELA-2KO mice. Ang I-induced contractions increased in WT mice submitted to MI (MI-WT) compared to Sham-WT mice. No differences were observed in Ang I reactivity between arteries from Sham-ELA-2KO and ELA-2KO submitted to MI (MI-ELA-2KO). Ang I contractions increased in arteries from MI-WT vs. MI-ELA-2KO mice. Chymostatin attenuated Ang I-induced vascular contractions in WT mice (P < 0.05), but did not affect Ang I responses in ELA-2KO arteries. These results provide the first evidence that ELA-2 contributes to increased Ang II formation in resistance arteries and modulates cardiac function after MI, implicating ELA-2 as a key player in ACE-independent dysregulation of the RAS.