Dose-Dependent, Therapeutic Potential of Angiotensin-(1–7) for the Treatment of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension:

AbstractThe effects of the heptapeptide angiotensin-(1–7) (Ang-(1–7)), via its receptor Mas, oppose many of the effects of the classic angiotensin II signaling pathway, and pharmacological exploitation of this effect is currently actively pursued for a wide range of cardiovascular, neoplastic, or immunological disorders. On the basis of its vasodilatory and antiproliferative properties, Ang-(1–7) has consequentially also been proposed as a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). In this study, we tested the effectiveness of Ang-(1–7) and its stable, cyclic analog cAng-(1–7) over a range of doses for their therapeutic potential in experimental PAH. In the monocrotaline (MCT) rat model of PAH, Ang-(1–7) or cAng-(1–7) were injected in doses of 30, 100, 300, or 900 μg kg−1 day−1, and effects on pulmonary hemodynamics and vascular remodeling were assessed. Five weeks after MCT injection, right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP) was significantly reduced for 3 do...