Angiotensin-(1-7) and Alamandine on Experimental Models of Hypertension and Atherosclerosis.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The purpose of this review was to summarize the current knowledge on the role of angiotensin-(1-7) [Ang-(1-7)] and alamandine in experimental hypertension and atherosclerosis. RECENT FINDINGS: The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is a very complex system, composed of a cascade of enzymes, peptides, and receptors, known to be involved in the pathogenesis of hypertension and atherosclerosis. Ang-(1-7), identified and characterized in 1987, and alamandine, discovered 16 years after, are the newest two main effector molecules from the RAS, protecting the vascular system against hypertension and atherosclerosis. While the beneficial effects of Ang-(1-7) have been widely studied in several experimental models of hypertension, much less studies were performed in experimental models of atherosclerosis. Alamandine has shown similar vascular effects to Ang-(1-7), namely, endothelial-dependent vasorelaxation mediated by nitric oxide and hypotensive effects in experimental hypertension. There are few studies on the effects of alamandine on atherosclerosis.