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Cardiac renin-angiotensin system. Molecular and functional aspects
1Division of Vascular Medicine and Atherosclerosis, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.
The American Journal of Medicine
|March 11, 1988
Summary
The heart has its own renin-angiotensin system. Inhibiting this system may offer new treatments for heart conditions like ischemia and hypertrophy.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Physiology
- Molecular Cardiology
Background:
- The heart possesses an intrinsic renin-angiotensin system (RAS).
- Vascular angiotensin influences coronary vascular tone.
- Local angiotensin production may increase during vascular injury, potentially causing vasoconstriction.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the role of cardiac angiotensin in myocardial metabolism, arrhythmia, and hypertrophy.
- To investigate the potential therapeutic benefits of inhibiting the cardiac RAS.
Main Methods:
- Review of current data and research findings.
- Analysis of the effects of angiotensin on cardiac function and structure.
Main Results:
- Cardiac angiotensin can negatively impact myocardial metabolism and trigger arrhythmias during ischemia-reperfusion.
- Angiotensin may stimulate cardiac contractility and contribute to cardiac hypertrophy in hypertension.
- Pharmacologic inhibition of cardiac angiotensin-converting enzyme shows therapeutic promise.
Conclusions:
- The cardiac RAS plays a significant role in various cardiac pathologies.
- Inhibiting the cardiac RAS presents a potential therapeutic strategy for ischemic, hypertrophic, and failing hearts.