Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:3.4.23.15 (renin)
 35,795 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Albuminuria is recognized in all hypertension guideline statements as a cardiovascular risk factor and indicator of kidney disease. Recent data also demonstrate a strong association between the presence of microalbuminuria and elevations in C-reactive protein. Thus, the increased membrane permeability that generates microalbuminuria may be secondary to an inflammatory process. Progression from microalbuminuria (>30 and < or =300 mg albumin/g creatinine) to macroalbuminuria (>300 mg albumin/g creatinine) indicates a worsening of vascular disease and the presence of kidney disease. Recent outcome trials of kidney disease progression have demonstrated the best results among those with reductions in albuminuria in concert with blood pressure (BP) reduction. Thus, use antihypertensive agents that not only lower BP but also lower or normalize albuminuria levels. All recent guideline statements support the use of agents that block the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system as part of a regimen to achieve the BP goal. Further lowering of albuminuria may be achieved by adding either a nondihydropyridine calcium antagonist such as verapamil or diltiazem, or aldosterone receptor blockers. Use of an angiotensin receptor blocker added to an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or vice versa can further lower albuminuria by an additional 30%-40%, which is not true of the additional lowering of BP.
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PMID:Implications of albuminuria on kidney disease progression. 1553 7

The purpose of the study was to examine the effect of fosinopril on the magnitude of neurohumoral and proinflammatory activation in patients with severe heart failure (HF). Twenty-eight patients aged 52-68 years who had Functional Class (FC) III-IV HF that had developed due to coronary heart disease were examined. All the patients were divided into 2 groups (with 14 patients in each group) and they received routine therapy including an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) and a beta-adrenoblocker. Group 1 patients were given the ACEI fosinopril in a dose of 10-20 mg/day, Group 2 patients took captopril in a dose of 50-75 mg/day. The course of therapy was 12 weeks. All the patients underwent echocardiography by the routine procedure. The plasma levels of angiotensin-II, aldosterone, and brain natriuretic peptide (BNUP) were determined by radioimmunoassay. The plasma contents of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and C-reactive protein (C-RP) were verified by enzyme immunoassay. An analysis of the findings indicated that during therapy the FC of HF decreased on the average by 10.9% in Group 1 and by 11. 7% in Group 2 (p = 0.14). With this, fosinopril was superior to captopril not only in its capacity of improving overall left ventricular contractile function, but it was characterized by a more pronounced effect on regression of the plasma pool of C-RP and TNF-alpha. The marked depressive action of the ACEI fosinopril on the plasma pool of products of the renin-angiotensin system, BNUP, and proinflammatory cytokines may be considered to be as a basis for preferably prescribing the agent to patients with severe HF.
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PMID:[Effect of fosinopril on the rate of neurohumoral and proinflammatory activation in patients with heart failure]. 1554 Apr 18

Hypertension in older persons is characterized by increased systolic blood pressure, and isolated systolic hypertension (ISH) is the most common type of hypertension in this population. It is thought that ISH results from age-associated vascular stiffening and reduced compliance that can be revealed and quantified by analysis of arterial pressure waveforms. Evaluation of pulse wave velocity and other related measures has shown that arterial stiffness increases with advancing age and other cardiovascular (CV) risk factors including hypertension, the metabolic syndrome, diabetes, obesity, hypercholesterolemia, and elevated C-reactive protein. Many of these relationships have been demonstrated in patients without clinical CV disease and are independent of patient age. Arterial stiffness is significantly and independently associated with both target organ damage and increased risk for CV morbidity and mortality. The mechanisms underlying age- and disease-related arterial stiffening are not fully understood. However, assessment of changes in gene expression associated with increased arterial stiffness and gene polymorphisms that increase the risk for vascular stiffening suggests that components of the renin-angiotensin system, matrix metalloproteinases, intracellular signaling, and extracellular matrix components may all be involved in this process. Interventions aimed at these targets may reduce vascular stiffness, lower systolic blood pressure, decrease the prevalence of ISH, and improve outcomes for patients (particularly older patients) with hypertension or other CV conditions.
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PMID:Vascular stiffening and arterial compliance. Implications for systolic blood pressure. 1560 34

Recent experimental findings have led to renewed interest in the possible role of uric acid in the pathogenesis of both hypertension and vascular disease. Often considered an antioxidant, biochemical and in vitro data indicate that noncrystalline, soluble uric acid also can react to form radicals, increase lipid oxidation, and induce various pro-oxidant effects in vascular cells. In vitro and in vivo findings suggest that uric acid may contribute to endothelial dysfunction by inducing antiproliferative effects on endothelium and impairing nitric oxide production. Proinflammatory and proliferative effects of soluble uric acid have been described on vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), and in animal models of mild hyperuricemia, hypertension develops in association with intrarenal vascular disease. Possible adverse effects of uric acid on the vasculature have been linked to increased chemokine and cytokine expression, induction of the renin-angiotensin system, and to increased vascular C-reactive protein (CRP) expression. Experimental evidence suggests a complex but potentially direct causal role for uric acid in the pathogenesis of hypertension and atherosclerosis.
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PMID:Uric acid as a mediator of endothelial dysfunction, inflammation, and vascular disease. 1566 Mar 33

The effect of ramipril (an angiotensin [AT]-converting enzyme inhibitor), telmisartan (an AT-II type 1 receptor blocker), or their combination on inflammation and lipid peroxidation was assessed in 37 patients with type 2 diabetes who were free of coronary artery disease. All regimens were associated with a significant reduction of C-reactive protein and oxidized low-density lipoprotein cholesterol serum levels (p <0.001). These results further enlighten the mechanisms underlying the cardiovascular beneficial effect of renin-AT system inhibition.
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PMID:Comparison of the effects of ramipril versus telmisartan in reducing serum levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and oxidized low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. 1590 53

We tested whether or not complement activation participates in angiotensin (Ang) II-induced vasculopathy. We used double transgenic rats harboring human renin and angiotensinogen genes (dTGR) with or without losartan or the human renin inhibitor aliskiren. Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were controls. DTGR had increased blood pressure at week 5 that increased further by week 7. Albuminuria was absent at week 5 but increased markedly in weeks 6 and 7. C-reactive protein (CRP) elevation, macrophages, T cells, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, C1q, C3, C3c, and C5b-9 expression preceded albuminuria. C1q, C3, C3c, and C5b-9 were observed in the dTGR vessel media. C5b-9 colocalized with interleukin (IL)-6. Losartan and aliskiren reduced albuminuria and complement expression. We also studied vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) from dTGR compared VSMC from SD. C3 and IL-6 mRNA were analyzed after Ang II, TNF-alpha, and CRP stimulation. VSMC from dTGR showed increased proliferation and C3 expression compared with SD. Ang II did not induce C3 mRNA in either VSMC type. However, TNF-alpha and CRP induced C3 mRNA slightly in SD VSMC but markedly in dTGR VSMC, whereas IL-6 induction was similar in both. Thus, complement activation and cell infiltration occurred before the onset of albuminuria in Ang II-mediated renal damage. TNF-alpha and CRP played a major role in C3 activation. VSMC from dTGR are more sensitive for C3 activation. Our data show that, in this Ang II-induced model, complement activation is a major participant and suggest that TNF-alpha and CRP may play a role in its induction.
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PMID:Complement activation in angiotensin II-induced organ damage. 1610 17

Inflammation is a key mechanism in the initiation, progression, and clinical sequelae of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), including atherosclerosis, nephropathy, and cardiomyopathy. Angiotensin II, the major effector peptide of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS), plays a significant role in the advent and perpetuation of these inflammatory diseases, most notably in atherogenesis. Consequently, suppression of the influence of angiotensin II by angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers may reduce or potentially reverse atherosclerosis and other inflammation-associated CVDs. Angiotensin II receptor blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors exert anti-inflammatory actions and prevent or reduce the development of atherosclerosis in animal models. Clinically, RAAS suppression reduces common carotid and femoral artery intima-media thickness, thus indicating moderation of the vascular disease process. These clinical benefits likely involve restraint of the deleterious effects of angiotensin II in addition to, or independent of, lowering blood pressure. Increasing evidence that the detection and monitoring of vascular inflammation are important tools in the management of atherosclerosis also implicates the RAAS in this pathogenic process. Inflammatory molecules such as intercellular adhesion molecule-1, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and C-reactive protein have potential diagnostic and prognostic values in CVD and are modified by angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers. Monitoring these markers may be crucial for determining which agents, or combinations of agents, will result in the most clinically beneficial outcomes for patients. Large-scale trials are still required to determine the effects of the long-term suppression of inflammation on CVDs through the use of RAAS modulating agents, as well as to determine how closely markers of inflammatory activity may correlate with CVD outcomes.
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PMID:Role of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and proinflammatory mediators in cardiovascular disease. 1712 70

The renin-angiotensin system is critically involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Cholesterol increases vascular responsiveness to angiotensin II by upregulation of the angiotensin II type 1 receptor. However, the effects of C-reactive protein (CRP) on vascular responsiveness to angiotensin II are unknown. We evaluated, in vitro, the vascular responsiveness of the internal thoracic artery to angiotensin II in patients who underwent coronary bypass grafting. We observed that increased preoperative CRP and increased cholesterol levels were strongly related to increased vascular responsiveness to angiotensin II (p <0.001 for the 2 comparisons). However, angiotensin II-mediated contraction was increased only when levels of CRP and cholesterol were jointly increased. In conclusion, our results suggest that CRP and cholesterol act synergistically on vascular responsiveness to angiotensin II.
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PMID:Effects of C-reactive protein and cholesterol on responsiveness in vitro of the internal thoracic artery to angiotensin II in patients having coronary artery bypass grafting. 1695 Jan 77

Angiotensin II can influence adipocytokine levels in adipose tissue, but the association between aldosterone, which mediates the effect of angiotensin II, and adipocytokines has yet to be fully elucidated. This study was designed to investigate the effect of spironolactone, a representative aldosterone blocker, on adipocytokines such as adiponectin, visfatin, plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI)-1 and tumor necrosis factor alpha in patients with type 2 diabetic nephropathy: the study included 33 patients, 22 of whom were randomly assigned to the spironolactone (50 mg/d) group and 11 to the amlodipine (2.5 mg/d) group. Data were collected at baseline and after 3 months of treatment and compared with baseline data for 25 age-matched healthy subjects. A significant decrease in plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 in the spironolactone group was observed (22.6 +/- 13.4 to 19.2 +/- 11.3 ng/mL, P =.0323), but this did not occur in the amlodipine group. Adiponectin and visfatin levels did not change in the spironolactone and amlodipine groups, but significant increases in these adipocytokines were found in a subgroup of patients in the spironolactone group with glycated hemoglobin A(1c) (HbA(1c)) 8.0% or greater (11.8 +/- 6.4 to 13.3 +/- 7.4 microg/mL, P = .0344; and 1.39 +/- 0.92 to 2.26 +/- 0.76 ng/mL, P =.0397, respectively). The tumor necrosis factor alpha level at baseline exceeded the lower detection limit of the assay in only 6 patients in the spironolactone group, and no change occurred in these patients. Moreover, neither spironolactone nor amlodipine therapy caused a change in high-sensitivity C-reactive protein or soluble CD40 ligand, but a significant decrease in the level of brain natriuretic peptide was found in the spironolactone group only. Furthermore, significant increases of HbA(1c), creatinine, potassium, and aldosterone levels and plasma renin activity, and a decrease in urinary albumin excretion were also observed only in the spironolactone group. The number of patients with HbA(1c) 8.0% or greater increased after spironolactone treatment. A significant decrease in systolic but not in diastolic blood pressure was observed in both treatment groups. In conclusion, our data suggest that in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus complicated by diabetic nephropathy, spironolactone can decrease plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 and brain natriuretic peptide levels in addition to urinary albumin excretion, and systolic blood pressure, and that in patients with poor glycemic control, spironolactone can increase the levels of adiponectin and visfatin. However, the significant elevation of HbA(1c) levels by spironolactone should be emphasized.
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PMID:The effect of spironolactone on circulating adipocytokines in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus complicated by diabetic nephropathy. 1714 38

The effect of long-term angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker (ARB) therapy on inflammation indices has not been fully investigated in a hypertensive population. The authors evaluated 323 consecutive nondiabetic patients (mean age, 57 years; 176 men; 92 smokers) with high renin activity and uncomplicated essential hypertension whose blood pressure levels normalized (from 163.9/100.7 mm Hg to 131.6/82.8 mm Hg) after 4 weeks of ARB or ARB/diuretic treatment. All patients underwent full laboratory evaluation (routine examination of blood and urine, liver, kidney, thyroid function, and lipid and glucose profiles), including measurement of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and serum amyloid A levels, at drug-free baseline, which was repeated after 6 months of ARB or ARB/diuretic treatment. A significant (P<.001) overall decrease was noted in both high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (-0.41+/-1.56 mg/dL) and serum amyloid A (-0.62+/-2.03 mg/dL), but a smaller decrease in high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and serum amyloid A change was seen in the smoker subgroup compared with nonsmokers (P<.05), indicating that the ARB or ARB/diuretic anti-inflammatory effect may be adversely affected by smoking status.
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PMID:Beneficial effects of angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker antihypertensive treatment on inflammation indices: the effect of smoking. 1721 60


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