This review article looks at the emerging concepts about the renin angiotensin system. The specific aspects it covers include angiotensin II receptors, angiotensin receptor antagonists and alternative enzymatic pathways for the conversion of angiotensin I to angiotensin II other than angiotensin converting enzyme. The review, additionally, looks at the current and future clinical applications o...

The present study examined whether metabolism of the putative angiotensin-(1-7) receptor agonist and antagonist [angiotensin-(1-7) and D-alanine(7) angiotensin-(1-7), respectively] altered their ability to interact with angiotensin AT(1), AT(2), and AT(4) receptor subtypes. Both angiotensin-(1-7) and D-alanine(7) angiotensin-(1-7) competed with low affinity for (125)I-sarcosine(1), isoleucine(8...

The investigation of the interaction between angiotensin II and its receptors in human subjects has been hampered by the inaccessibility of human tissue containing angiotensin II receptors. In order to find a more accessible angiotensin II-binding tissue, we studied angiotensin II binding to platelets in normal human volunteers. Platelet preparations purified on Ficoll: Isopaque gradients were ...

BACKGROUND The effect on cardiovascular outcomes of withholding angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor blockers in chronic users before noncardiac surgery is unknown. METHODS In this international prospective cohort study, the authors analyzed data from 14,687 patients (including 4,802 angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor/angiotensin II receptor blocker users) ...

Multiple data suggest that the renin-angiotensin system contributes to the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. The atherogenic effect of the renin-angiotensin system can only in part be explained by the influence of its effector angiotensin II on blood pressure, smooth muscle cell (SMC) growth, or antifibrinolytic activity. Because chronic inflammation of the vessel wall is a hallmark of atheroscl...

Background: Stroke is the third leading cause of invalidism and death in industrialized countries. There are conflicting reports about the effects of Angiotensin II on ischemia-reperfusion brain injuries and most data have come from chronic hypertensive rats. In this study, hypotensive and non-hypotensive doses of candesartan were used to investigate the effects of angiotensin II AT1 receptor b...

The angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) converts the inactive angiotensin I molecule to the active angiotensin II. ACE is rich in epithelium, endothelium, and neuroepithelial cells and it found largely on the brush border of intestine and kidney proximal tubules. ACE also presents in the serum. Some pulmonary and renal toxic drugs change the serum and tissue ACE contents. In this research ACE...

The zinc metalloprotease, neprilysin (NEP), plays a role in the metabolism of cardiovascular, inflammatory and neuropeptides, including mitogenic peptides such as bombesin. In the cardiovascular system, NEP has a primary role in the inactivation of natriuretic peptides but also contributes to local metabolism of angiotensin, endothelins and bradykinin. Hence NEP is seen as a potential therapeut...

We determined the excitatory effects of direct nucleus tractus solitarii injection of angiotensin peptides after the sinoaortic nerves were cut unilaterally in rats under halothane anesthesia. Twenty-four hours later, recordings of mean arterial pressure and heart rate were obtained during injections of 2.5 ng angiotensin II or angiotensin-(1-7) in chloralose-urethane-anesthetized rats. Both pe...