BACKGROUND Existing clinical trial data do not address whether all angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are similarly beneficial in improving survival and reducing the rate of readmission among patients with congestive heart failure. We sought to answer this question using administrative databases from Canada's 3 most populous provinces. METHODS Using linked hospital discharge and p...

Large clinical trials and experimental studies have indicated that not all of the beneficial properties of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE-Is) can be attributed to the lowering of blood pressure. The aim of this study was to assess doctors' opinions about the importance of the cardioprotective effects of ACE-Is beyond lowering blood pressure. The study participants (685 physicians...

The goal of the present study was to characterize the new renin inhibitor Ro 42-5892 in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, Ro 42-5892 inhibited purified human renin and human plasma renin specifically with an IC50 of 0.7 nM and 0.8 nM, respectively. In vivo, Ro 42-5892 reduced mean arterial blood pressure in sodium-depleted marmosets and squirrel monkeys with as low a dose as 0.1 mg/kg orally. Higher...

The concentration of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) increases during chronic treatment with ACE inhibitors for unknown reasons. We investigated whether alterations in ACE mRNA and ACE concentration occur in the different tissues during ACE inhibition and the role of angiotensins in these regulations by comparing ACE inhibitors with other blockers of the renin-angiotensin system. Enalapril,...

To discover the underlying mechanisms involved in the beneficial long-term effects of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, we investigated the systemic and peripheral effects of short- and long-term ACE inhibition in patients with chronic heart failure. After assessing the short-term effects and dose titration with cilazapril, a new long-acting ACE inhibitor, 21 patients were randomi...

Unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) results in a number of pathophysiological and morphological changes in the renal parenchyma, including interstitial inflammation and fibrosis, apoptotic changes of tubular and interstitial cells. Recent studies have indicated an association between renin-angiotensin system and apoptotic alterations in the kidney after unilateral obstructive nephropathy. In ...