Evidence for the role of kinins in the acute antihypertensive effect of captopril in low-renin hypertension

Control of energy balance by the brain renin-angiotensin system

The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) exists as a circulating hormone system but it is also used by various tissues of the body, including the brain, as a paracrine signaling mechanism. The local brain version of the RAS is mechanistically involved in fluid balance and blood pressure control, and there is growing appreciation for a role of the brain RAS in the control of energy balance. Here, we review major evidence for the control of energy balance by the brain RAS; outline the current understanding of the RAS components, targets, and mechanisms involved; and highlight some major questions that currently face the field.

Captopril enhances insulin responsiveness of forearm muscle tissue in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus

Bradykinin infusion has been shown to improve glucose metabolism in non-insulin-dependent diabetic subjects (NIDD). Therefore, we tested the following hypothesis: inhibition of Kininase II, the bradykinin (BK) degrading enzyme, by captopril may also improve glucose metabolism in NIDD. Immediate effects of captopril on total body and peripheral glucose disposal were examined in five normotensive, normal weight NIDD and compared with five NIDD control subjects, well matched for age, weight and degree of fasting hyperglycaemia. The euglycaemic insulin clamp technique was employed in combination with the forearm catheter technique. After 90 min of insulin infusion a single dose of 25 mg captopril was administered orally, whereas in the control group a placebo was given. Captopril lead to a significant rise in total body glucose disposal and forearm glucose uptake, while in the control group no change was observed. Simultaneously, captopril lead to reduction in muscular release of lactate and pyruvate. We conclude that these results demonstrate the stimulatory effect of captopril on insulin-induced glucose disposal of the whole body, which appears to be a result of increased glucose utilization by peripheral tissues. Because of the described insulin-like activity of bradykinin, the concomitant accumulation of local kinins by captopril-induced inhibition of kininase II may represent an attractive hypothesis to explain the generated data sufficiently.

Dexamethasone-suppressible hyperaldosteronism: pathophysiology, clinical aspects, and new insights into the pathogenesis

A profile of dexamethasone-suppressible hyperaldosteronism (DSH), a variant of primary aldosteronism, is drawn by reviewing its pathophysiological and clinical aspects. Genetic studies show no HLA linkage and point to an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance, suggesting that the prevalence of this disease has been underestimated in the past. Hypertension, hypokalemia, suppressed renin, and high aldosterone values characterize DSH in the basal state, similar to the other forms of primary aldosteronism, i.e., aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA) or bilateral idiopathic adrenal hyperplasia (IAH). Biochemically DSH and APA can be differentiated from IAH since in both aldosterone does not respond to upright posture, to angiotensin II infusion, and to angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) captopril. In contrast, morphologically DSH is similar to IAH, since neither macroscopic nor histologic examinations of the adrenals give evidence of any unilateral abnormality. However, DSH is differentiated from APA and IAH by the hyperresponsiveness of aldosterone to acute ACTH administration as well as by the failure of aldosterone to escape from prolonged ACTH stimulation. The final diagnosis of DSH rests upon the prompt reversal of the features of mineralocorticoid excess by glucocorticoid therapy. In some cases hypertension is unresponsive to dexamethasone and needs alternative treatment. The main pathogenetic hypotheses point to a pituitary and/or an adrenal abnormality, but the intrinsic nature of the disease remains to be elucidated.