Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0011881 (diabetic nephropathy)
10,836 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

More than a century of research on the reninangiotensin system (RAS) has uncovered the widespread involvement of angiotensin II (Ang II) in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular diseases. A number of outcomes-based mega trials utilising hard clinical endpoints have revealed beneficial effects of angiotensin receptor antagonists (AIIAs/ARBs) in patients with hypertension, heart failure, diabetic nephropathy, and post-myocardial infarction (MI). The results of these studies not only emphasise the importance of Ang II in the pathophysiology of these diseases but have provided the basis for an evidence-based approach for the use of AIIAs in clinical practice. It is hoped that the next 100 years of research into the RAS will uncover hitherto unimaginable therapeutic opportunities.
J Renin Angiotensin Aldosterone Syst 2006 Mar
PMID:Role of angiotensin II in cardiovascular disease therapeutic implications of more than a century of research. 1708 68

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors improve the prognosis in mild, moderate and severe heart failure, as well as preventing the onset of heart failure in patients with chronic asymptomatic left-ventricular dysfunction and in those with reduced ejection fraction after myocardial infarction (MI). Imidapril is a long-acting ACE inhibitor that is rapidly converted in the liver to its active metabolite, imidaprilat. Maximum plasma concentrations of imidapril and imidaprilat are achieved after 2 and 5-6 hours, respectively, with corresponding elimination half-lives of 1.1-2.5 and 10-19 hours. Imidapril is used in the treatment of hypertension, chronic heart failure, acute MI and diabetic nephropathy. In patients with mild-to-moderate chronic heart failure, imidapril 10 mg once-daily increased exercise time and physical working capacity, decreased plasma atrial natriuretic peptide and brain natriuretic peptide levels and reduced blood pressure. It also improved left ventricular ejection fraction, being significantly more effective than bisoprolol, in patients with acute MI. Imidapril is well tolerated and preliminary studies suggest it has an advantage over captopril and enalapril in terms of a lower incidence of cough. In conclusion, imidapril is a well-investigated versatile ACE inhibitor for the treatment of a range of cardiovascular diseases.
J Renin Angiotensin Aldosterone Syst 2006 Sep
PMID:Imidapril in heart failure. 1709 51

Angiotensin II (Ang II) has powerful sodium-retaining, growth-promoting and pro- inflammatory properties in addition to its physiological role in maintaining body salt and fluid balance and blood pressure homeostasis. Increased circulating and local tissue Ang II is one of the most important factors contributing to the development of sodium and fluid retention, hypertension and target organ damage. The importance of Ang II in the pathogenesis of hypertension and target organ injury is best demonstrated by the effectiveness of angiotensin- converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and AT1-receptor antagonists in treating hypertension and progressive renal disease including diabetic nephropathy. The detrimental effects of Ang II are mediated primarily by the AT1-receptor, while the AT2-receptor may oppose the AT1-receptor. The classical view of the AT1-receptor-mediated effects of Ang II is that the agonist binds its receptors at the cell surface, and following receptor phosphorylation, activates downstream signal transduction pathways and intracellular responses. However, evidence is emerging that binding of Ang II to its cell surface AT1-receptors also activates endocytotic (or internalisation) processes that promote trafficking of both the effector and the receptor into intracellular compartments. Whether internalised Ang II has important intracrine and signalling actions is not well understood. The purpose of this article is to review recent advances in Ang II research with focus on the mechanisms underlying high levels of intracellular Ang II in proximal tubule cells and the contribution of receptor-mediated endocytosis of extracellular Ang II. Further attention is devoted to the question whether intracellular and/or internalised Ang II plays a physiological role by activating cytoplasmic or nuclear receptors in proximal tubule cells. This information may aid future development of drugs to prevent and treat Ang II-induced target organ injury in cardiovascular and renal diseases by blocking intracellular and/or nuclear actions of Ang II.
J Renin Angiotensin Aldosterone Syst 2007 Mar
PMID:Novel roles of intracrine angiotensin II and signalling mechanisms in kidney cells. 1748 23

Renin inhibitors are now available in therapeutic doses and it is accepted that they decrease blood pressure as efficiently as the classic inhibitors of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS): angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin II-receptor blockers (ARBs). One major issue will be to know how, beyond the normalization of blood pressure, renin inhibitors (RIs) will compare with angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and ARBs for their ability to protect the organs against the tissue damage associated with overactivation of the RAS. The mechanism(s) of tissue protection may involve the inhibition of a direct cellular effect of renin and prorenin mediated by the (pro)renin receptor ([P]RR). This review updates the recent findings on (P)RR; its role in hypertension, cardiac fibrosis, diabetic nephropathy, and retinopathy; and the effects of a putative (P)RR antagonist.
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PMID:The (pro)renin receptor: a new kid in town. 1786 88

Hypertension is more prevalent and more difficult to control and is associated with a higher mortality rate in patients with diabetes than in nondiabetic patients. Elevated blood pressure contributes importantly to the development of albuminuria and progression of renal damage in diabetic nephropathy. Strong evidence indicates that the presence of albuminuria and overt nephropathy in patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes is associated with a marked increase in the rate of fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular events. Blockade of the renin-angiotensin system in patients with type 2 diabetes with or without chronic kidney disease is associated with a significant reduction in risk for cardiovascular events. Renin-angiotensin system-blocking agents should be considered first-step pharmacologic therapy for hypertension in diabetic patients, with addition of other agents, if needed, to meet the recommended blood pressure goal of <130/80 mm Hg. In most instances, a diuretic is also needed to reduce blood pressure.
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PMID:Reducing cardiovascular events in high-risk patients: the challenge of managing hypertension in patients with diabetic renal disease. 1808 Mar 58

In chronic kidney disease (CKD) sympathetic overactivity is stimulated by signals from the diseased kidney activating hypothalamic centers. In addition, breakdown of circulating catecholamines is decreased. Indications for beta-blockers are cardio- and renoprotection. Cardioprotection is important because cardiovascular (CV) death is two- to 20-fold more likely in CKD than end-stage kidney disease; consequently, beta-blockers, with their adverse effect on CV risk profile, should be avoided. Controlled prospective evidence for renoprotection by beta-blockers in nondiabetic CKD with hard end points is lacking, but renoprotection by antihypertensive agents was first documented by administering beta-blockers in patients with diabetic nephropathy. Renoprotection by beta-blockers was seen experimentally. Furthermore, controlled studies documented a beneficial effect on albuminuria as a surrogate marker for renoprotection in diabetic and nondiabetic patients. Renin-angiotensin system blockade is the undoubted first-line treatment in CKD. Several points argue for ancillary treatment with beta-blockers: in CKD often four or more different antihypertensive drugs are required and cardiac indications are frequent.
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PMID:Do beta-blockers combined with RAS inhibitors make sense after all to protect against renal injury? 1817 89

Renin angiotensin system (RAS) worsens diabetic nephropathy (DN) by increasing oxidative stress. We compared the effect of three different RAS inhibitors: the angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor Ramipril, the vasopeptidase inhibitor AVE7688 and the angiotensin receptor (AT1) antagonist Losartan on the formation of oxidative and carbonyl stress derived protein modifications in kidney from Zucker obese hyperglycemic rats (ZDFn Gm-fa/fa). Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to measure representative markers of several protein oxidative pathways: direct oxidation [dinitrophenylhydrazine reactive carbonyls (DNP), glutamic (GSA), and aminoadipic (AASA) semialdehydes], mixed glyco- and lipoxidation [N(epsilon)-carboxyethyl-lysine (CEL) and N(epsilon)-(carboxymethyl)-lysine (CML)] and lipoxidation-[N(epsilon)-(malondialdehyde)-lysine-(MDAL)], as well as renal fatty acid composition. Urinary albumin (a marker of DN), DNP, GSA, and MDAL levels, were increased in all obese rats and were dose dependently decreased by AVE7688 whereas Ramipril and Losartan were less efficient. These results show that RAS inhibition improves DN at several levels, independently of its effects on blood pressure and glycemic control, via mechanisms depending of renal oxidative stress.
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PMID:Inhibition of renin angiotensin system decreases renal protein oxidative damage in diabetic rats. 1824 27

The Renin-Angiotensin System (RAS) is important for the regulation of cardiovascular physiology, where it controls blood pressure, and salt- and water homeostasis. Dysregulation of RAS can lead to severe diseases including hypertension, diabetic nephropathy, and cardiac arrhythmia, and -failure. The importance of the RAS is clearly emphasised by the widespread use of drugs targeting this system in clinical practice. These include, renin inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor type I blockers, and inhibitors of the angiotensin converting enzyme. Some of the important effectors within the system are 7 transmembrane (7TM) receptors (or G-protein-coupled receptors) such as the angiotensin II Receptors type I and II (AT1R and AT2R) and the MAS-oncogene receptor. Several findings indicate that the 7TM receptors can form both homo- and heterodimers, or higher orders of oligomers. Furthermore, dimerization may be important for receptor function, and in the development of cardiovascular diseases. This is very significant, since "dimers" may provide pharmacologists with novel targets for improved drug therapy. However, we know that 7TM receptors can mediate signals as monomeric units, and so far it has been very difficult to establish if our observations reflect actual well-defined dimerization or merely reflect close proximity between the receptors and/or various types of functional interaction. In this review, we will present and critically discuss the current data on 7TM receptor dimerization with a clear focus on the RAS, and delineate future challenges within the field.
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PMID:Functional interactions between 7TM receptors in the renin-angiotensin system--dimerization or crosstalk? 1893 Jul 83

TREATMENT OF ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION - Blood pressure (BP) should be regularly measured in all patients with CKD (Strength of Recommendation C). - BP control and proteinuria reduction delay progression of CKD (Strength of Recommendation A) and reduce cardiovascular risk (Strength of Recommendation C). Thus, control of both factors should be the treatment objective. - The BP target in patients with CKD should be < 130/80 mmHg, and 125/75 mmHg if proteinuria is > 1 g/24 hours (Strength of Recommendation A). - Lifestyle changes should be made: low-sodium diet (less than 100 mEq/day of sodium or 2.4 g/day of salt); weight reduction if patient is overweight (body mass index 20-25 kg/m2); regular aerobic physical exercise and moderate alcohol intake for BP control and prevention of cardiovascular risk (Strength of Recommendation A). - The choice of the antihypertensive drug in patients with CKD depends on the etiology of CKD, cardiovascular risk, or presence of clinical or subclinical cardiovascular disease (Strength of Recommendation A). - Two or more antihypertensive drugs are usually required to control blood pressure in patients with CKD (Strength of Recommendation B), and will frequently include a diuretic, which in stages 4-5 should be a loop diuretic (Strength of Recommendation B). - Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) inhibitors are first choice drugs in patients with diabetic nephropathy, patients with non-diabetic nephropathy with a protein/creatinine ratio higher than 200 mg/g, and patients with heart failure (Strength of Recommendation A). The combination of ACEIs and ARBs is indicated for reducing proteinuria that remains high despite treatment with a RAAS inhibitor, provided potassium levels do not exceed 5.5 mEq/L (Strength of Recommendation B). - When RAAS blockers are started or their dose is changed in patients with advanced CKD, kidney function and serum potassium levels should be monitored at least after 1-2 weeks. DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF DYSLIPIDEMIA - A complete evaluation of the lipid profile including total cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C, and triglycerides should be performed in any patient with CKD at baseline and at least annually (Strength of Recommendation B). - In patients with stage 4-5 CKD and LDL-C >or= 100 mg/dL, treatment to decrease levels to < 100 mg/dL should be considered because of their high CV risk. This reduction is recommended in secondary prevention and in primary prevention in diabetic patients. Lipid-lowering treatment is recommended in all other patients, although no evidence showing its benefits is available yet (Strength of Recommendation C). - In patients with stage 4-5 CKD and triglyceride levels >or= 500 mg/dL which are not corrected by treating the underlying cases, treatment with triglyceride-lowering drugs may be considered to reduce the risk of pancreatitis. However, treatment with fibrates should be used with caution, and these drugs should not be associated to statins due to the risk of rhabdomyolysis (Strength of Recommendation C). There is little experience on the efficacy and safety of omega-3 fatty acids for the treatment of hypertriglyceridemia in patients with grade 4-5 CRF, but they may be considered a possibly safer alternative to fibrates (Strength of Recommendation C). SMOKING - Smoking is a cardiovascular risk factor and a risk factor for progression of kidney disease in patients with CRF (Strength of Recommendation B). - Use of active measures to achieve smoking cessation is recommended in patients with CRF (Strength of Recommendation C). HOMOCYSTEINE - Hyperhomocysteinemia has been postulated as a cardiovascular risk factor in the general population and in kidney patients, but the available evidence is not consistent. - There is no evidence that vitamin therapy decreases cardiovascular risk in patients with CRF, and recommendation of routine vitamin measurement and start of vitamin therapy to reduce cardiovascular risk in these patients is therefore questionable (Strength of Recommendation B). LEFT VENTRICULAR HYPERTROPHY - Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is a cardiovascular risk factor in patients with CRF (Strength of Recommendation B). - It is advisable to perform an echocardiogram at baseline and every 12-24 months and to consider treatments allowing for LVH regression (Strength of Recommendation C). The approach to LVH should be early and multifactorial because its reversibility is limited once established (Strength of Recommendation C). - RAAS blockade with ACEIs or ARBs partially reverts LVH in patients with CRF (Strength of Recommendation B). ANTI-PLATELET AGGREGATION - Because of the high cardiovascular risk in patients with CKD, anti-platelet aggregant therapy, especially low-dose aspirin, would be indicated in patients with type 2 diabetes as primary prevention, and in all patients with CKD as secondary prevention. There is however no evidence of the benefits of anti-platelet aggregant therapy in primary prevention in patients with CKD, particularly in stages 4-5; indication for treatment in this situation should therefore be individualised because of its greater risk of bleeding. - Adequate good blood pressure control should previously be achieved to minimise the risk of haemorrhagic stroke (Strength of Recommendation C).
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PMID:[Arterial hypertension and dyslipidemia in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Anti-platelet aggregation. Goal oriented treatment]. 1901 37

Little is known about how barriers to research participation are perceived, affected by or interact with patient characteristics, or how they vary over the course of a clinical trial. Participants (285) in the Renin-Angiotensin System Study (RASS), a randomized clinical primary prevention study of diabetic nephropathy and retinopathy at 2 Canadian and 1 US university, rated potential barriers to research participation yearly for 5 years. Baseline barriers rated as most adversely affecting participation were: missing work; frequency of appointments and procedures; study length; number of appointments and procedures; access to study location; and physical discomfort associated with procedures. Inadequate social support, unstable job, and the use of alcohol and drugs were cited relatively infrequently, suggesting that although they may be important, candidates for whom these might be issues likely self-selected out of the study. Gender and gender by age interactions were found for specific perceived barriers, such as work and child care, and baseline barriers correlated with adherence. Elucidating the natural history of barriers to research participation is a step toward identifying strategies for helping participants overcome them, and ultimately may enhance the conduct of research.
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PMID:Barriers to clinical research participation in a diabetes randomized clinical trial. 1916 43


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