OBJECTIVE Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) cleaves angiotensin II (AngII) to form angiotensin-(1-7) (Ang-(1-7)), which generally opposes effects of AngII. AngII infusion into hypercholesterolemic male mice induces formation of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). This study tests the hypothesis that deficiency of ACE2 promotes AngII-induced AAAs, whereas ACE2 activation suppresses aneurysm ...

Background Rupture of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) is the third most common cause of death in cardiovascular diseases. Despite this high significance, there is still controversy regarding the management of AAAs, as diameter is currently the only accepted parameter to assess risk of rupture. Elastin is the key protein for maintaining stability of the aortic wall. The aim of this study was t...