Renin Angiotensin System and the Heart Upplaga 1

The renin angiotensin system exerts a major influence on heart function under both normal and pathologic conditions. The latter include heart failure, hypertension, cardiac hypertrophy, interstitial fibrosis, post-myocardial infarction remodeling, contractile dysfunction and vascular injury. Recent studies have shown that the heart possesses an intrinsic renin angiotensin system that is controlled by tissue-specific parameters activated by biomechanical stress. This book reviews the latest information on the way both the plasma and cardiac renin angiotensin systems affect heart function. It covers the cell and molecular biology of these systems, with contributions on renin synthesis, uptake and the intracellular signaling pathways. Particular insight comes from transgenic mouse models in which either mouse or human genes for various components of the renin angiotensin system are expressed; for example, overexpression of the angiotensin I receptor results in cardiac hypertrophy in the absence of hypertension. Other topics covered are wound healing as well as the trophic effects of aldosterone. ACE inhibitors and antogonists of angiotensin II receptors are successful drugs; the studies decribed in this book contribute to our knowledge of how such therapies work and how they might be improved in the future. In particular, there are chapters on ACE2 and its role in heart failure, angiotensin II in myocardial fibrosis and the renin angiotensin system in hypertensive heart disease. This book should be of interest to cardiologists, nephrologists, cell and molecular biologists, physiologists, pathologists and pharmacologists.