scholarly journals Blockage of the Renin-Angiotensin System in the Secondary Prevention of Stroke: Beneficial Effects Beyond Blood Pressure Reduction?

Stroke ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Luis Castilla-Guerra ◽  
María del Carmen Fernández-Moreno ◽  
Maria Dolores Jiménez-Hernandez
2007 ◽  
Vol 293 (3) ◽  
pp. F839-F845 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liliana Monica Bivol ◽  
Rolf Kristian Berge ◽  
Bjarne Magnus Iversen

The tetradecythioacetic acid (TTA) is a modified fatty acid known to exhibit pleiotropic effects. First, we compared the effect of TTA on the blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) with two-kidney, one-clip (2K1C)-hypertensive rats. Second, we examined mechanisms involved in the blood pressure reduction. TTA had minor effect on systolic blood pressure (SBP) in young SHR up to 8 wk of age. In 2K1C we confirmed the blood pressure-lowering effect of TTA (SBP: 173 ± 4 before vs. 138 ± 3 mmHg after TTA, P < 0.001). No effect on SBP was seen in Wistar-Kyoto rat (WKY) controls. Plasma renin activity (PRA) was low in SHR and WKY controls and TTA did not change it. PRA decreased from 22.9 ± 1.3 to 16.2 ± 2.2 ng·ml−1·h−1 ( P = 0.02) in 2K1C. Plasma ANG II concentration declined from 101 ± 3 to 81 ± 5 fmol/l after TTA treatment ( P = 0.005). In the clipped kidney, tissue ANG I concentration decreased from 933 ± 68 to 518 ± 60 fmol/g tissue ( P = 0.001), and ANG II decreased from 527 ± 38 to 149 ± 21 fmol/g tissue ( P < 0.001) after TTA treatment. In the nonclipped kidney, TTA did not change ANG I and moderately reduced ANG II levels. The renal blood flow response to injection of ANG II into the nonclipped kidney was blunted compared with controls and normalized with TTA treatment (10 ± 2 before vs. 20 ± 2%, P < 0.001). The results indicate that TTA downregulates the renin-angiotensin system in high renin animals but has no effect in low renin models.


2003 ◽  
Vol 98 (6) ◽  
pp. 1338-1344 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gilles Boccara ◽  
Alexandre Ouattara ◽  
Gilles Godet ◽  
Eric Dufresne ◽  
Michèle Bertrand ◽  
...  

Background Terlipressin, a precursor that is metabolized to lysine-vasopressin, has been proposed as a drug for treatment of intraoperative arterial hypotension refractory to ephedrine in patients who have received long-term treatment with renin-angiotensin system inhibitors. The authors compared the effectiveness of terlipressin and norepinephrine to correct hypotension in these patients. Methods Among 42 patients scheduled for elective carotid endarterectomy, 20 had arterial hypotension following general anesthesia that was refractory to ephedrine. These patients were the basis of the study. After randomization, they received either 1 mg intravenous terlipressin (n = 10) or norepinephrine infusion (n = 10). Beat-by-beat recordings of systolic arterial blood pressure and heart rate were stored on a computer. The intraoperative maximum and minimum values of blood pressure and heart rate, and the time spent with systolic arterial blood pressure below 90 mmHg and above 160 mmHg, were used as indices of hemodynamic stability. Data are expressed as median (95% confidence interval). Results Terlipressin and norepinephrine corrected arterial hypotension in all cases. However, time spent with systolic arterial blood pressure below 90 mmHg was less in the terlipressin group (0 s [0-120 s] vs. 510 s [120-1011 s]; P &lt; 0.001). Nonresponse to treatment (defined as three boluses of terlipressin or three changes in norepinephrine infusion) occurred in zero and eight cases (P &lt; 0.05), respectively. Conclusions In patients who received long-term treatment with renin-angiotensin system inhibitors, intraoperative refractory arterial hypotension was corrected with both terlipressin and norepinephrine. However, terlipressin was more rapidly effective for maintaining normal systolic arterial blood pressure during general anesthesia.


2012 ◽  
Vol 302 (3) ◽  
pp. R313-R320 ◽  
Author(s):  
Curt D. Sigmund

The purpose of this review is two-fold. First, I will highlight recent advances in our understanding of the mechanisms regulating angiotensin II (ANG II) synthesis in the brain, focusing on evidence that renin is expressed in the brain and is expressed in two forms: a secreted form, which may catalyze extracellular ANG I generation from glial or neuronal angiotensinogen (AGT), and an intracellular form, which may generate intracellular ANG in neurons that may act as a neurotransmitter. Second, I will discuss recent studies that advance the concept that the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in the brain not only is a potent regulator of blood pressure and fluid intake but may also regulate metabolism. The efferent pathways regulating the blood pressure/dipsogenic effects and the metabolic effects of elevated central RAS activity appear different, with the former being dependent upon the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, and the latter being dependent upon an interaction between the brain and the systemic (or adipose) RAS.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document