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Updated: May 16, 2026

Improved Renal Denervation Mitigated Hypertension Induced by Angiotensin II Infusion
Published on: May 26, 2022
Angiotensin II blockade and renal protection
Hiroyuki Kobori1, Hirohito Mori, Tsutomu Masaki
1Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Ikenobe 1750-1, Miki, Kita, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan.
Insights
Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) protect kidneys in hypertensive patients with chronic kidney disease by improving blood flow and reducing kidney injury. They offer renoprotective effects through multiple complex mechanisms.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Pharmacology
- Hypertension Management
Background:
- National guidelines recommend renin-angiotensin system inhibitors, specifically angiotensin II type 1 receptor blockers (ARBs), for hypertensive patients with chronic kidney disease.
- The precise mechanisms behind the renoprotective effects of ARBs are intricate and multifaceted.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the pharmacological effects of ARBs within the kidney.
- To discuss the mechanisms underlying the renoprotective actions of ARBs, particularly in type 2 diabetic nephropathy.
Main Methods:
- Review of current literature on ARB mechanisms in kidney disease.
- Analysis of ARB effects on blood pressure, renal hemodynamics, and urinary albumin excretion.
Main Results:
- ARBs reduce blood pressure via systemic vasodilation, improving kidney disease outcomes.
- ARB-induced renal vasodilation increases renal blood flow, mitigating renal ischemia and hypoxia.
- ARBs decrease urinary albumin excretion by lowering intraglomerular pressure and protecting against glomerular injury.
- ARBs reduce intrarenal angiotensin II levels, inhibiting renal cell and tissue damage.
Conclusions:
- ARBs exert renoprotective effects through various mechanisms, including improved renal hemodynamics and direct cellular protection.
- Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for optimizing ARB therapy in chronic kidney disease, especially in diabetic nephropathy.
Abstract:
Current national guidelines have recommended the use of renin-angiotensin system inhibitors, including angiotensin II type 1 receptor blockers (ARBs), in preference to other antihypertensive agents for treating hypertensive patients with chronic kidney disease. However, the mechanisms underlying the renoprotective effects of ARBs are multiple and complex. Blood pressure reduction by systemic vasodilation with an ARB contributes to its beneficial effects in treating kidney disease. Furthermore, ARB-induced renal vasodilation results in an increase in renal blood flow, leading to improvement of renal ischemia and hypoxia. ARBs are also effective in reducing urinary albumin excretion through a reduction in intraglomerular pressure and the protection of glomerular endothelium and/or podocyte injuries. In addition to blocking angiotensin II-induced renal cell and tissue injuries, ARBs can decrease intrarenal angiotensin II levels by reducing proximal tubular angiotensinogen and production of collecting duct renin, as well as angiotensin II accumulation in the kidney. In this review, we will briefly summarize our current understanding of the pharmacological effects of an ARB in the kidney. We will also discuss the possible mechanisms responsible for the renoprotective effects of ARBs on type 2 diabetic nephropathy.
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