scholarly journals Advances in the Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System: Relevance to Diabetic Nephropathy

2008 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 434-445 ◽  
Author(s):  
Audrey Koitka ◽  
Christos Tikellis
Keyword(s):  
Diabetic Nephropathy ◽  
Angiotensin Ii ◽  
Angiotensin Converting Enzyme ◽  
Renal Disease ◽  
Converting Enzyme ◽  
Renin Angiotensin Aldosterone System ◽  
Renin Angiotensin ◽  
Angiotensin Type 2 Receptor

Hypertension is now recognized as a key contributory factor to the development and progression of kidney disease in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The renin angiotensin system (RAS) and its effector molecule angiotensin II, in particular, have a range of hemodynamic and nonhemodynamic effects that contribute not only to the development of hypertension, but also to renal disease. As a result, therapeutic inhibition of the RAS with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and/or selective angiotensin II type 1 receptor blockers has been proposed as a key strategy for reducing kidney damage beyond the expected effects one would observe with blood pressure reduction per se. Although the relationship between the RAS and the progression of diabetic renal disease has been known for many decades, recent advances have revealed a more complex paradigm with the discovery of a number of new components. Thus, further understanding of these new components of the renin angiotensin aldosterone system (RAAS), such as the angiotensin type 2 receptor subtype, angiotensin converting enzyme 2, and the recently cloned renin receptor, is likely to have therapeutic implications for disorders such as diabetic nephropathy, where interruption of the RAAS is widely used.

scholarly journals Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors – a realm of confusion in COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (Special2) ◽  
pp. 389-394
Author(s):  
Angela Madalina Lazar
Keyword(s):  
Angiotensin Ii ◽  
Angiotensin Converting Enzyme ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Angiotensin Receptor Blockers ◽  
Protective Effects ◽  
Converting Enzyme ◽  
Angiotensin I ◽  
Renin Angiotensin Aldosterone System ◽  
Renin Angiotensin ◽  
Raas Inhibitors

Currently, there is a persisting dispute regarding the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone-system (RAAS) inhibitors' safety of use in COVID-19 pandemics. On one side, RAAS inhibitors appear to determine an overexpression of ACE2, the receptor of SARS-CoV-2. Therefore, they could increase the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and its degree of severity. On the other side, the discontinuation of RAAS leads to cardiovascular decompensation and has been discouraged by the major medical societies. Also, large-cohort studies report beneficial or at least neutral effects for the RAAS inhibitors in COVID-19 patients. Worldwide, millions of patients receive RAAS inhibitors for the treatment of hypertension and other important comorbidities. In this context, knowledge of the exact effect of these medications becomes of crucial significance. This paper aims to fill in a gap in the current knowledge and presents a putative mechanism by which RAAS inhibitor administration's beneficial results can be explained better. RAAS inhibitors can be beneficial, as they counteract the excessive detrimental activation of the classical angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) axis, decreasing the angiotensin II levels. The angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) increase the angiotensin II levels, while the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) increase the angiotensin I levels; these substrates will compete with the SARS-CoV-2 for the ACE2 binding, decreasing the viral infectivity. In addition, following the RAAS inhibitors treatment, the up-regulated ACE2 will cleave these substrates (angiotensin I and II), particularly to angiotensin 1-7 that possesses vasodilator, protective effects.

scholarly journals Renin-Angiotensin System Blockers and the COVID-19 Pandemic

Hypertension ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 75 (6) ◽  
pp. 1382-1385 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.H. Jan Danser ◽  
Murray Epstein ◽  
Daniel Batlle
Keyword(s):  
Angiotensin Ii ◽  
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽  
Angiotensin Converting Enzyme ◽  
Renin Angiotensin System ◽  
Converting Enzyme ◽  
Angiotensin System ◽  
Renin Angiotensin ◽  
Receptor Blockers ◽  
Renin Angiotensin System Blockers

During the spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2, some reports of data still emerging and in need of full analysis indicate that certain groups of patients are at risk of COVID-19. This includes patients with hypertension, heart disease, diabetes mellitus, and clearly the elderly. Many of those patients are treated with renin-angiotensin system blockers. Because the ACE2 (angiotensin-converting enzyme 2) protein is the receptor that facilitates coronavirus entry into cells, the notion has been popularized that treatment with renin-angiotensin system blockers might increase the risk of developing a severe and fatal severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 infection. The present article discusses this concept. ACE2 in its full-length form is a membrane-bound enzyme, whereas its shorter (soluble) form circulates in blood at very low levels. As a mono-carboxypeptidase, ACE2 contributes to the degradation of several substrates including angiotensins I and II. ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitors do not inhibit ACE2 because ACE and ACE2 are different enzymes. Although angiotensin II type 1 receptor blockers have been shown to upregulate ACE2 in experimental animals, the evidence is not always consistent and differs among the diverse angiotensin II type 1 receptor blockers and differing organs. Moreover, there are no data to support the notion that ACE inhibitor or angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker administration facilitates coronavirus entry by increasing ACE2 expression in either animals or humans. Indeed, animal data support elevated ACE2 expression as conferring potential protective pulmonary and cardiovascular effects. In summary, based on the currently available evidence, treatment with renin-angiotensin system blockers should not be discontinued because of concerns with coronavirus infection.

Treatment of Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System Dysfunction With Angiotensin II in High-Renin Septic Shock

2020 ◽  
pp. 108925322094907 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan H. Chow ◽  
Marianne Wallis ◽  
Allison S. Lankford ◽  
Zackary Chancer ◽  
Rolf N. Barth ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Septic Shock ◽  
Angiotensin Ii ◽  
Receptor Agonist ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Plasma Renin ◽  
Converting Enzyme ◽  
Renin Angiotensin Aldosterone System ◽  
Renin Angiotensin ◽  
Angiotensin Type

Endothelial dysfunction is common in septic shock and has been shown to impair angiotensin converting enzyme and the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS). Dysregulation of this pathway, which can be measured with plasma renin activity (PRA), is important not only because RAAS dysfunction is associated with increased mortality but also because treatment with angiotensin II (Ang-2) has been shown to decrease mortality. In this case series of 2 patients, serial PRA levels identified septic shock patients with RAAS dysfunction. The patients were treated with Ang-2, an angiotensin type 1 receptor agonist, which resulted in significant improvements in hemodynamics and PRA levels during treatment.

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