Recent Advances in the Endogenous Brain Renin-Angiotensin System and Drugs Acting on It

Abstract

The RAS (renin-angiotensin system) is the part of the endocrine system that plays a prime role in the control of essential hypertension. Since the discovery of brain RAS in the seventies, continuous efforts have been put by the scientific committee to explore it more. The brain has shown the presence of various components of brain RAS such as angiotensinogen (AGT), converting enzymes, angiotensin (Ang), and specific receptors (ATR). AGT acts as the precursor molecule for Ang peptides—I, II, III, and IV—while the enzymes such as prorenin, ACE, and aminopeptidases A and N synthesize it. AT1, AT2, AT4, and mitochondrial assembly receptor (MasR) are found to be plentiful in the brain. The brain RAS system exhibits pleiotropic properties such as neuroprotection and cognition along with regulation of blood pressure, CVS homeostasis, thirst and salt appetite, stress, depression, alcohol addiction, and pain modulation. The molecules acting through RAS predominantly ARBs and ACEI are found to be effective in various ongoing and completed clinical trials related to cognition, memory, Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and pain. The review summarizes the recent advances in the brain RAS system highlighting its significance in pathophysiology and treatment of the central nervous system-related disorders.

Effect of aerobic exercise on brain metabolite profiles in mice models of methamphetamine addiction: LC-MS-based metabolomics study

“…The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in the brain exhibits pleiotropic properties and can be involved in neuroprotection and cognition, blood pressure regulation, stress, depression, alcohol addiction, and pain regulation [72]. RAS mainly exerts its important functions through the angiotensin-converting enzyme(ACE) [73].…”

Exploring the Role of ACE2 as a Connecting Link between COVID-19 and Parkinson’s Disease

“…ACE2 is expressed in several brain regions, mainly in the thalamus, inferior olivary nuclei, and cerebellum [ 71 ], but also in the hippocampus, amygdala, visual cortex, and striatum [ 5 ]. Excessive RAS activation in the brain has been associated with oxidative stress, inflammation, immune dysregulation, and abnormal cell growth and proliferation [ 17 , 72 ]. AT1R overactivation upregulates NADPH-oxidase complex 2 (Nox2), resulting in the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) [ 73 ].…”

Roles of traditional chinese medicine regulating neuroendocrinology on AD treatment

“…Brain-gut axis, peripheral-central immune communication or neuroendocrine related factors can act directly on the brain and alter the internal environment of the nervous system, leading to energy metabolism disorders, oxidative stress, and inflammation in nerve cells ( 93 , 94 ). In this case, AD-related mitochondrial dysfunction, ER stress, and autophagy related pathways are activated ( 95 ).…”