Abstract
It is generally believed that atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease that is promoted by lifestyle-related diseases, such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes. The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) has been demonstrated to play a critical role in the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis, thereby contributing to development of cardiovascular diseases. Angiotensin II (Ang II), a major substrate in RAS, stimulates atherosclerosis through various deleterious effects such as endothelial dysfunction, cellular proliferation and inflammation. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a major role in the athero-promoting actions of Ang II. In fact, recent basic and clinical studies demonstrated that pharmacological inhibition of renin-angiotensin system is effective in prevention of atherosclerotic diseases. Elucidation of molecular mechanism of chronic inflammation should lead to development of effective strategies against lifestyle-related diseases.
