Since it was discovered ten years ago, the angiotensin II (ANG II) type 2 (AT2) receptor has been an enigma. This receptor binds ANG II with a high affinity but is not responsible for mediating any of the classical physiological actions of this peptide, all of which involve the ANG II type 1 (AT1) receptor. Furthermore, the AT2 receptor exhibits dramatic differences in biochemical and functional properties and in patterns of expression compared with the AT1 receptor. During the past decade, much information has been gathered about the AT2 receptor, and the steadily increasing number of publications indicates a growing interest in this new and independent area of research. A number of studies suggest a role of AT2 receptors in brain, renal, and cardiovascular functions and in the processes of apoptosis and tissue regeneration. Despite these advances, nothing stands out as the major singular function of these receptors. The study of AT2 receptors has reached a crossroads, and innovative approaches must be considered so that unifying mechanisms as to the function of these unique receptors can be put forward. In this review we will discuss the advances that have been made in understanding the biology of the AT2receptor. Furthermore, we will consider how these discoveries, along with newer experimental approaches, may eventually lead to the elusive physiological and pathophysiological functions of these receptors.

The effector hormone of the renin-angiotensin system, angiotensin II, plays a major role in cardiovascular regulation. In rats, both angiotensin receptor subtypes, AT(1) and AT(2), are up-regulated after myocardial infarction but previous studies failed to identify the cell types which express the AT(2) receptor in the heart. To address this question we established a single-cell reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction for AT(1) and AT(2) receptors to determine whether these receptor subtypes are expressed in adult rat cardiomyocytes before and 1 day after myocardial infarction. By laser-assisted cell picking, section profiles of single cells without genomic DNA contamination were isolated. After dividing samples into two identical aliquots, polymerase chain reaction amplification for AT(1) and AT(2) receptors was carried out and polymerase chain reaction products were subjected to gel electrophoresis. Compared to control (n = 4) and sham-operated animals (n = 4), the number of cardiomyocytes expressing the AT(1) receptor mRNA 1 day after myocardial infarction (n = 4) was not changed (42% and 33% versus 45%, respectively). On the other hand, AT(2) receptor mRNA was expressed in 8% and 13%, respectively, of cardiomyocytes gained from control (n = 4) and sham-operated animals (n = 4) and in 14% isolated after myocardial infarction (n = 4). These results demonstrate for the first time that the AT(2) receptor is expressed in adult cardiomyocytes in vivo. They further suggest that the previously observed up-regulation of cardiac AT(1) and AT(2) receptors after myocardial infarction involves cell types other than cardiomyocytes.

The angiotensin AT P receptor has been implicated in both regeneration and apoptosis. To further investigate the molecular mechanisms leading to AT P receptor-induced programmed cell death in PC12W cells we studied the effects of angiotensin II (ANG II) on ceramide levels by HPTLC analysis. We could demonstrate that ANG II time-(1^10 h) and dosedependently (10 3V^5 U103T M) increased ceramide levels by maximally 175% but did not affect sphingomyelin degradation. The ANG II effects were mediated by AT P receptors since they were completely abolished by co-incubation with the AT P receptor antagonist, PD123177 (10 3S M), but not by the AT I receptor antagonist, losartan (10 3S M). These data suggest a novel signal transduction pathway to the AT P receptor leading to apoptosis in neuronal cells.z 1999 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.

Since the discovery 100 years ago by Tigerstedt and Bergman of renin, an acid protease generating angiotensin peptide, numerous discoveries have advanced our understanding of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS). The recent cloning of angiotensin receptors and the availability of specific receptor ligands have allowed characterization of angiotensin-receptor-mediated actions, and an increasing number of studies using biochemical, pharmacological and molecular biological methods has focused on the many different physiological actions of the RAS in various tissues. Angiotensin II, the main effector peptide of the RAS, exerts most of its known actions in blood pressure control and body fluid homeostasis via the AT, receptor. AT, receptors not only play a role in growth control and cell differentiation but have been implicated in apoptosis and tissue regeneration. This review focuses on the extrarenal functions of angiotensin, especially in neuronal cells and the nervous system, and on recent advances in angiotensin receptor research.