An insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism in the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene determines serum ACE levels. The D allele is associated with increased ACE activity and is linked to cardiovascular disease. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in postmenopausal women (PMW) decreases serum ACE activity and concomitantly increases plasma bradykinin. We investigated the effect of HRT on these ...

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) converts angiotensin I (Ang I) to angiotensin II (Ang II) and metabolizes bradykinin and kallidin peptides. Decreased Ang II levels and increased kinin peptide levels are implicated in the mediation of the therapeutic effects of ACE inhibition. However, alternative non-ACE pathways of Ang II formation have been proposed to predominate in human heart. We inves...

Serum LDL cholesterol (LDLC) concentrations and ACE activities are risk factors for the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, the relationship between ACE and CVD susceptibility, and possible mechanisms of action, is controversial. With data on 622 pedigreed baboons, we used statistical genetic methods to determine the mode of inheritance of ACE activities and its relationship t...

OBJECTIVE This study determined the role of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) on the development of angiotensin I-induced atherosclerosis and the contribution of leukocyte-specific expression of this enzyme. APPROACH AND RESULTS To define the contribution of ACE-dependent activity to angiotensin II synthesis in atherosclerotic development, male low-density lipoprotein receptor(-/-) mice wer...

A polymorphism consisting of the presence or absence of a 250-bp DNA fragment was detected within the angiotensin I-converting enzyme gene (ACE) using the endothelial ACE cDNA probe. This polymorphism was used as a marker genotype in a study involving 80 healthy subjects, whose serum ACE levels were concomitantly measured. Allele frequencies were 0.6 for the shorter allele and 0.4 for the longe...

The angiotensin converting enzyme gene (ACE) is a candidate gene for an individual's genetic susceptibility to left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). LVH has long been thought to be an end point of essential hypertension (EH), rather than a separate entity, though it is influenced by a unique set of hormonal, vascular and genetic factors. In this study, we attempted to determine whether two repres...

BACKGROUND The angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) has been repeatedly discussed as susceptibility factor for major depression (MD) and the bi-directional relation between MD and cardiovascular disorders (CVD). In this context, functional polymorphisms of the ACE gene have been linked to depression, to antidepressant treatment response, to ACE serum concentrations, as well as to hypertension, m...

Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE, E.C. 3.14.5.1) was localized in the rat eye by immunocytochemical staining using anti-rat lung ACE monoclonal antibody, and by autoradiography using the potent ACE inhibitor [3H]captopril. Highest levels of ACE immunoreactivity and [3H]captopril binding were found in the ciliary epithelium (Bmax = 1050 fmol [3H]captopril bound/mg protein) while lower levels w...

Widespread resistance to pyrethroids threatens malaria control in Africa. Consequently, several countries switched to carbamates and organophophates insecticides for indoor residual spraying. However, a mutation in the ace-1 gene conferring resistance to these compounds (ace-1(R) allele), is already present. Furthermore, a duplicated allele (ace-1(D)) recently appeared; characterizing its selec...

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) plays a central role in the renin-angiotensin system. Whereas ACE is responsible for the production of angiotensin II, it is also important in the elimination of bradykinin. Constitutively, the biological function of bradykinin is mediated through the bradykinin B(2) receptor. ACE knockout mice have a complicated phenotype including very low blood pressure. T...