ACE2-like enzyme B38-CAP suppresses abdominal sepsis and severe acute lung injury

PLoS One. 2022 Jul 22;17(7):e0270920. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0270920. eCollection 2022.

Abstract

Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is the carboxypeptidase to degrade angiotensin II (Ang II) to angiotensin 1-7 (Ang 1-7) and improves the pathologies of cardiovascular disease and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)/acute lung injury. B38-CAP is a bacteria-derived ACE2-like carboxypeptidase as potent as human ACE2 and ameliorates hypertension, heart failure and SARS-CoV-2-induced lung injury in mice. Recombinant B38-CAP is prepared with E. coli protein expression system more efficiently than recombinant soluble human ACE2. Here we show therapeutic effects of B38-CAP on abdominal sepsis- or acid aspiration-induced acute lung injury. ACE2 expression was downregulated in the lungs of mice with cecal ligation puncture (CLP)-induced sepsis or acid-induced lung injury thereby leading to upregulation of Ang II levels. Intraperitoneal injection of B38-CAP significantly decreased Ang II levels while upregulated angiotensin 1-7 levels. B38-CAP improved survival rate of the mice under sepsis. B38-CAP suppressed the pathologies of lung inflammation, improved lung dysfunction and downregulated elevated cytokine mRNA levels in the mice with acute lung injury. Thus, systemic treatment with an ACE2-like enzyme might be a potential therapeutic strategy for the patients with severe sepsis or ARDS.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acute Lung Injury* / pathology
  • Angiotensin II / metabolism
  • Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2
  • Animals
  • COVID-19*
  • Carboxypeptidases / metabolism
  • Escherichia coli / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Lung / pathology
  • Mice
  • Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A / metabolism
  • Renin-Angiotensin System
  • Respiratory Distress Syndrome* / drug therapy
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Sepsis* / complications
  • Sepsis* / drug therapy
  • Sepsis* / metabolism

Substances

  • Angiotensin II
  • Carboxypeptidases
  • Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A
  • Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2

Grants and funding

K.K. is supported by the Japan Society for the promotion of Science (JSPS) [20H03426, 20K21566] from Japanese Ministry of Science and the FY2020 Program to Develop Countermeasure Technologies against Viral and Other Infectious Diseases [24-136] from Japan Agency for Medical research and Development (AMED). Y.I. is supported by the JSPS [17H06179], T.Y. is supported by the JSPS [20K07285] from Japanese Ministry of Science, and J.A. is supported by the JSPS [20K16153] from Japanese Ministry of Science. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.