Impact of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers on the mortality in sepsis: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND The effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors(ACEIs)or angiotensin receptor blockers(ARBs)on the mortality of patients with sepsis is not well characterized.AIM To elucidate the association between prior ACEI or ARB exposure and mortality in sepsis.METHODS The PubMed,EMBASE,Web of Science,and Cochrane Library databases were searched for all studies of premorbid ACEI or ARB use and sepsis mortality until November 302019.Two reviewers independently assessed,selected,and ab-stracted data from studies reporting ACEIs or ARBs,sepsis,and mortality.The primary extracted data consisted of premorbid ACEI or ARB exposure,mortality,and general patient data.Two reviewers independently assessed the risk of bias and quality of evidence.RESULTS A total of six studies comprising 281238 patients with sepsis,including 49799 cases with premorbid ACEI or ARB exposure were eligible for analysis.Pre-morbid ACEIs or ARBs exposure decreased the 30-d mortality in patients with sepsis.Moreover,the use of ACEIs or ARBs was associated with approximately a 6%decreased risk of 30-d mortality.CONCLUSION The results of this systematic review suggest that ACEI or ARB exposure prior to sepsis may be associated with reduced mortality.Further high-quality cohort studies and molecular mechanism experiments are required to confirm our results.

Role of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers in cryoballoon ablation outcomes for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation

BACKGROUND Cryoballoon ablation(CBA)is recommended for patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation(AF)refractory to antiarrhythmic drugs.However,only 80%of patients benefit from initial CBA.There is growing evidence that pretreatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors(ACEIs)and angiotensin receptor blockers(ARBs)decreases the recurrence of AF postablation,particularly in nonparoxysmal AF undergoing radiofrequency ablation.The role of ACEIs and ARBs in patients with paroxysmal AF in CBA remains unknown.We decided to investigate the role of ACEIs and ARBs in preventing the recurrence of atrial arrhythmia(AA)following CBA for paroxysmal AF.AIM To investigate the role of ACEIs and ARBs in preventing recurrence of AA following CBA for paroxysmal AF.METHODS We followed 103 patients(age 60.6±9.1 years,29%women)with paroxysmal AF undergoing CBA 1-year post procedure.Recurrence was assessed by documented AA on electrocardiogram or any form of long-term cardiac rhythm monitoring.A multivariable Cox proportional hazard model was used to assess if ACEI or ARB treatment predicted the risk of AA recurrence.RESULTS After a 1-year follow-up,19(18.4%)participants developed recurrence of AA.Use of ACEI or ARB therapy was noted in the study population.Patients on ACEI/ARB had a greater prevalence of hypertension and coronary artery disease.On a multivariate model adjusted for baseline demographics and risk factors for AF,ACEI or ARB therapy did not prevent recurrence of AA following CBA(P=0.72).Similarly,on Kaplan–Meier analysis pretreatment with ACEI/ARB did not predict the time to first recurrence of AA(P=0.2173).CONCLUSION In our study population,preablation treatment with an ACEI or ARB had no influence on the recurrence of AA following CBA for paroxysmal AF.

Hyperkalemia of Angiotensin-converting Enzyme Inhibitors or Angiotensin Receptor Blockers in Hemodialysis: A Meta-analysis

The safety of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) used in hemodialysis (HD) patients was evaluated.Medline,Embase,the Cochrane Library,some databases of clinical trial registries,grey literatures,other reference lists of eligible articles and review articles for the randomized clinical trials (RCTs) on comparison of ACEIs/ARBs or placebo in HD patients were retrieved.RCTs reporting the risk of hyperkalemia by using ACEIs/ARBs in HD patients were selected.Eight articles met the eligibility criteria and were subjected to meta-analysis by using the Cochrane Collaboration’s RevMan 4.2 software package.The results showed that there was no significant difference in hyperkalemia in HD patients between ACEIs or ARBs group and control group (ACEIs vs.control:RD=0.03,95% CI=-0.13?0.18,Z=0.34,P=0.73;ARBs vs.control:RD=-0.02,95% CI=-0.07?0.03,Z=0.75,P=0.45).However,there was no significant difference in the serum potassium between ACEIs or ARBs group and control group in HD patients (ACEIs vs.control:WMD=0.10,95% CI=0.06?0.15,Z=4.64,P<0.00001;ARBs vs.control:WMD=-0.24,95% CI=-0.37--0.11,Z=3.58,P=0.0003).The use of ACEIs or ARBs could not cause an increased risk of hyperkalemia in HD patients,however the serum potassium could be increased with use of ACEIs in HD patients.Therefore the serum potassium concentration should still be closely monitored when ACEIs are taken during the maintenance HD.

Effects of angiotensin receptor blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors on COVID-19

BACKGROUND The World Health Organization reported that 28637952 people worldwide had been infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2,the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19),by September 13.AIM The aim was to investigate whether long-term use of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system(RAAS)inhibitors for the treatment of hypertension aggravates the performance of COVID-19 patients with hypertension.METHODS This was a retrospective analysis of lung computed tomography(CT)data and laboratory values of COVID-19 patients with hypertension who were admitted to Huoshenshan Hospital,Wuhan,Hubei Province,between February 18 and March 31,2020.Patients were divided into two groups.Group A included 19 people who were long-term users of RAAS inhibitors for hypertension;and group B included 28 people who were randomly selected from the database and matched with group A by age,sex,basic diseases,and long-term use of other antihypertensive drugs.All patients underwent a series of CT and laboratory tests.We compared the most severe CT images of the two groups and the laboratory examination results within 2 d of the corresponding CT images.RESULTS The time until the most severe CT images from the onset of COVID-19 was 30.37±14.25 d group A and 26.50±11.97 d in group B.The difference between the two groups was not significant(t=1.01,P=0.32).There were no significant differences in blood laboratory values,C-reactive protein,markers of cardiac injury,liver function,or kidney function between the two groups.There was no significant difference in the appearance of the CT images between the two groups.The semiquantitative scores of each involved lobe were 11.84±5.88 in group A and 10.36±6.04 group B.The difference was not significantly different(t=0.84,P=0.41).CONCLUSION Chest CT is an important imaging tool to monitor the characteristics of COVID-19 and the degree of lung injury.Chronic use of RAAS inhibitors is not related to the severity of COVID-19,and it does not worsen the clinical process.

Effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and angiotensin Ⅱ receptor blocker on one-year outcomes of patients with atrial fibrillation: insights from a multicenter registry study in China

Objective To evaluate the effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor(ACEI)/angiotensin Ⅱ receptor blocker(ARB)therapy on the prognosis of patients with atrial fibrillation(AF).Methods A total of 1,991 AF patients from the AF registry were divided into two groups according to whether they were treated with ACEI/ARB at recruitment.Baseline characteristics were carefully collected and analyzed.Logistic regression was utilized to identify the predictors of ACEI/ARB therapy.The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality,while the secondary endpoints included cardiovascular mortality,stroke and major adverse events(MAEs)during the one-year follow-up period.Univariable and multivariable Cox regression were performed to identify the association between ACEI/ARB therapy and the one-year outcomes.Results In total,759 AF patients(38.1%)were treated with ACEI/ARB.Compared with AF patients without ACEI/ARB therapy,patients treated with ACEI/ARB tended to be older and had a higher rate of permanent AF,hypertension,diabetes mellitus,heart failure(HF),left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF)<40%,coronary artery disease(CAD),prior myocardial infarction(MI),left ventricular hypertrophy,tobacco use and concomitant medications(all P<0.05).Hypertension,HF,LVEF<40%,CAD,prior MI and tobacco use were determined to be predictors of ACEI/ARB treatment.Multivariable analysis showed that ACEI/ARB therapy was associated with a significantly lower risk of one-year all-cause mortality[hazard ratio(HR)(95%CI):0.682(0.527-0.882),P=0.003],cardiovascular mortality[HR(95%CI):0.713(0.514-0.988),P=0.042]and MAEs[HR(95%CI):0.698(0.568-0.859),P=0.001].The association between ACEI/ARB therapy and reduced mortality was consistent in the subgroup analysis.Conclusions In patients with AF,ACEI/ARB was related to significantly reduced one-year all-cause mortality,cardiovascular mortality and MAEs despite the high burden of cardiovascular comorbidities.

Interferon augments the anti-fibrotic activity of an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor in patients with refractory chronic hepatitis C

AIM： To evaluate the effect of combination treatment with the interferon （IFN） and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor （ACE-Ⅰ） on several fibrotic indices in patients with refractory chronic hepatitis C （CHC）. METHODS： Perindopril （an ACE-Ⅰ; 4 mg/d） and/or natural IFN （3 MU/L; 3 times a week） were administered for 12 mo to refractory CHC patients, and several indices of serum fibrosis markers were analyzed. RESULTS： ACE-Ⅰ decreased the serum fibrosis markers, whereas single treatment with IFN did not exert these inhibitory effects. However, IFN significantly augmented the effects of ACE-Ⅰ, and the combination treatment exerted the most potent inhibitory effects. The serum levels of alanine transaminase and HCV-RNA were not significantly different between the groups, whereas the plasma level of transforming growth factor-β was significantly attenuated almost in parallel with suppression of the serum fibrosis markers. CONCLUSION： The combination therapy of an ACE-Ⅰand IFN may have a diverse effect on disease progression in patients with CHC refractory to IFN therapy through its anti-fibrotic effect.

A new angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor from Peperomia pellucida(L.) Kunth

Objective:To isolate,identify,and evaluate a new angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor from Peperomia pellucida(L.)Kunth herbs.Methods:A dried sample of Peperomia pellucida herb was successively macerated with n-hexane and ethyl acetate.The ethyl acetate extract solution was evaporated to obtain the crude extract.Vacuum liquid column chromatography and thin layer chromatography were performed to obtain two pure compounds.Then,both compounds were elucidated and identified using the spectroscopic method.Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitory activity studies of both compounds were determined using angiotensin-converting enzyme kit WST-1 with spectrophotometer microplate reader 96-well at 450 nm wavelength.Results:Two bioactive compounds were successfully isolated from Peperomia pellucida herb,including a new compound of 2,3,5-trimethoxy-9-(12,14,15-trimethoxybenzyl)-1 H-indene and pellucidin A.Both compounds demonstrated angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitory activity,with IC50 values of 72 μM(27.95 μg/mL)and 1 1μM(4.4 μg/mL),respectively.Conclusions:In the present study,two active angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors were successfully isolated and purified from Peperomia pellucida which is used as an antihypertensive in traditional medicine,and support its use as an angiotensin-converting enzyme-inhibiting drug.

Role of renin-angiotensin system/angiotensin converting enzyme-2 mechanism and enhanced COVID-19 susceptibility in type 2 diabetes mellitus

Coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)is a disease that caused a global pandemic and is caused by infection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 virus.It has affected over 768 million people worldwide,resulting in approx-imately 6900000 deaths.High-risk groups,identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,include individuals with conditions like type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM),obesity,chronic lung disease,serious heart conditions,and chronic kidney disease.Research indicates that those with T2DM face a hei-ghtened susceptibility to COVID-19 and increased mortality compared to non-diabetic individuals.Examining the renin-angiotensin system(RAS),a vital regulator of blood pressure and pulmonary stability,reveals the significance of the angiotensin-converting enzyme(ACE)and ACE2 enzymes.ACE converts angiotensin-I to the vasoconstrictor angiotensin-II,while ACE2 counters this by converting angiotensin-II to angiotensin 1-7,a vasodilator.Reduced ACE2 exp-ression,common in diabetes,intensifies RAS activity,contributing to conditions like inflammation and fibrosis.Although ACE inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers can be therapeutically beneficial by increasing ACE2 levels,concerns arise regarding the potential elevation of ACE2 receptors on cell membranes,potentially facilitating COVID-19 entry.This review explored the role of the RAS/ACE2 mechanism in amplifying severe acute respiratory syndrome cor-onavirus 2 infection and associated complications in T2DM.Potential treatment strategies,including recombinant human ACE2 therapy,broad-spectrum antiviral drugs,and epigenetic signature detection,are discussed as promising avenues in the battle against this pandemic.

Angiotensin converting enzymes inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers should be continued in COVID-19 patients with hypertension

BACKGROUND Recent studies have revealed that sustained ingestion of angiotensin converting enzymes inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers(ACEIs/ARBs)had no harmful effects on coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)patients complicated with hypertension.AIM To investigate the impact on COVID-19 patients complicated with hypertension who discontinued using ACEIs/ARBs.METHODS All COVID-19 patients complicated with hypertension admitted to our isolated unit were consecutively recruited in this study.Some patients switched from ACEIs/ARBs to calcium channel blocker(CCBs)after admission,while others continued using non-ACEIs/ARBs.We compared characteristics and clinical outcomes between these two groups of patients.RESULTS A total of 53 patients were enrolled,27 patients switched from ACEIs/ARBs to CCBs while 26 patients continued with non-ACEIs/ARBs.After controlling potential confounding factors using the Cox proportional hazards model,hospital stay was longer in patients who discontinued ACEIs/ARBs,with a hazard ratio of 0.424(95%confidence interval:0.187-0.962;P=0.040),upon discharge than patients using other anti-hypertensive drugs.A sub-group analysis showed that the effect of discontinuing use of ACEIs/ARBs was stronger in moderate cases[hazard ratio=0.224(95%confidence interval:0.005-0.998;P=0.0497)].CONCLUSION Patients in the discontinued ACEIs/ARBs group had longer hospital stays.Our findings suggest that COVID-19 patients complicated with hypertension should continue to use ACEIs/ARBs.

New perspectives on angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 and its related diseases

Since the worldwide outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019,angiotensin-converting enzyme 2(ACE2)has received widespread attention as the cell receptor of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 virus.At the same time,as a key enzyme in the renin-angiotensin-system,ACE2 is considered to be an endogenous negative regulator of vasoconstriction,proliferation,fibrosis,and proinflammation caused by the ACE-angiotensin II-angiotensin type 1 receptor axis.ACE2 is now implicated as being closely connected to diabetes,cardiovascular,kidney,and lung diseases,and so on.This review covers the available information on the host factors regulating ACE2 and discusses its role in a variety of pathophysiological conditions in animal models and humans.

A Meta-analysis of angitensin-converting enzyme inhibitors on normotensive early diabetic renal diseases

Objective: To make a systematic assessment on whether the progression of early diabetic renal disease with normotension may be slowed down by angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. Methods: Randomized clinical experiments published on MEDLINE from January 1990 to April 1999 and on China Biological Medicine were reviewed for studying the effects of ACE-inhibitors on normotensive patients with early diabetic renal diseases. Based on the inclusion criteria, 10 studies were selected. Their results were combined and analyzed with RevMan3. I software. Results: The pooled effect of urinary microalbumin excretion rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and mean arterial blood pressure were -77.502 mg/24 h (-100.748 to-54.256), -5.002 mmHg [-9.630 to 0.685],-2.949 mmHg (-4.005 to 1.892). -4.284 mmHg (-5.444 to 3.123) respectively. Using clinical albuminuria as the end-point, the pooled odd ratio was 0.27 [95% CI 0.18 0.40]. The sub-group analysis showed that those results had no difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes. There was no significant correlation between the pooled effects of urinary micro-albuminuria excretion rate and systolic blood pressure. diastolic blood pressure or mean arterial blood pressure. Conclusion: ACE inhibitors can decline urinary micro-albuminuria excretion rate in normotensive patients with early diabetic renal disease and delay the progression of early diabetic renal disease to clinical albuminuria. These effects may not be dependent on its blood pressure-reduction effect.

Effects of adding tripterygium glycosides to angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers on albuminuria in patients with diabetic nephropathy

Introduction::Tripterygium glycosides (TGs) have been widely used in China to treat diabetic nephropathy (DN);however, proof of their use is scarce. The present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of adding TGs to angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs).Methods::By searching Embase, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, SINOMED, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP Information/Chinese Scientific Journals, and WANFANG databases, we identified previous studies that met the specific selection criteria and included them in the meta-analysis. Analyses were performed using Review Manager (version 5.3).Results::Nine randomized controlled trials were included in the final meta-analysis. Patients were compared before and after treatment with ACE inhibitors or ARBs plus TGs, or ACE inhibitors or ARBs alone. The results revealed that treatment with ACE inhibitors or ARBs plus TGs resulted in significantly greater reductions in 24-h urinary total protein (UTP) levels (trial duration <2 months, mean difference [MD]: -0.25;95% confidence interval [ CI]: -0.32, -0.18;trial duration between 2 and 6 months, MD: -0.39;95% CI: -0.44, -0.33;trial duration >6 months, MD: -2.09;95% CI: -2.89, -1.29) compared with treatment using ACE inhibitors or ARBs alone. Additionally, ACE inhibitors or ARBs plus TGs showed better results after longterm administration. Treatment with ACE inhibitors or ARBs plus TGs resulted in significantly greater reductions in serum creatinine (SCr) compared with ACE inhibitors or ARBs alone (MD: -9.87;95% CI: -13.76, -5.97). Conclusion::In patients with DN, adding TGs to ACE inhibitors or ARBs significantly lowered both the 24-h UTP and SCr levels. Therefore, ACE inhibitors or ARBs plus TGs might improve the treatment of DN in patients.

Effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin II type 1 receptor blockers on lymphangiogenesis of gastric cancer in a nude mouse model

Background Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors （ACEI） and angiotensin II type 1 receptor blockers （ARB） can inhibit tumor growth by inhibition of angiogenesis. This study was designed to study the anticancer effects of ACEI and ARB on tumor growth and lymphangiogenesis in an implanted gastric cancer mouse model. Methods A model of gastric cancer was established by subcutaneously inoculating human gastric cancer cell line SGC-7901 into 60 nude mice. One week later, all mice were randomly divided into 5 groups. A control group received physiologic saline once daily for 21 days. Mice in the 4 treatment groups received one of the following agents by gavage once daily for 21 days： perindopril, 2 mg/kg; captopril, 5 mg/kg; Iosartan, 50 mg/kg; or valsartan, 40 mg/kg. Twenty-one days after treatment, all the mice were sacrificed and the tumors were removed. Tumor sections were processed, and immunohistochemical methods were used to observe the expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor C （VEGF-C）, matrix metalloproteinase 7 （MMP-7）, and lymphatic microvessel density （LMVD）. Results Tumor volume was significantly inhibited in all ACEI and ARB groups, compared with the control group （all P 〈0,01）. LMVD in the ACEI and ARB groups was also significantly lower than that of the control group （all P 〈0.01）. In the ACEI groups, the expressions of VEGF-C and MMP-7 were both significantly decreased, compared with the control group （all P 〈0.05）. In the ARB groups, expression of VEGF-C was significantly decreased compared with the control group （all P 〈0.05）. However, no significant difference was found in the expression of MMP-7 between ARB groups and the control group. Conclusion In a mouse model, ACEI and ARB might inhibit gastric cancer tumor growth by suppressing lymphangiogenesis.

Prevention of atrial fibrillation with renin-angiotensin system inhibitors on essential hypertensive patients:a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

We aimed to investigate the effectiveness and safety of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors （ACEIs） or angiotensin Ⅱ receptor blockers （ARBs） on preventing atrial fibrillation in essential hypertensive patients. Systematic literature retrieval was carried out to obtain randomized controlled trials on the effects of ACEI/ ARBs on essential hypertensive patients before December, 2013. Data extraction and quality evaluation were performed. Meta-analysis was performed by Review Manager 5.2.3. Ten high quality studies （11 articles） with a total of 42,892 patients （20,491 patients in the ACEI/ARBs group and 22,401 patients in the β-blocker or the calcium antagonist group） met the inclusion criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. The results showed that ACEI/ARBs reduced the incidence of atrial fibrillation （AF） recurrence compared to calcium antagonists （RR=0.48; 95%CI, 0.40-0.58; P〈0.00001） or β-blockers （RR=0.39; 95%CI, 0.20-0.74; P=0.005） in long-term follow-up, respectively. Furthermore, ACEI/ARBs reduced the incidence of conges- tive heart failure （RR=0.86; 95%CI, 0.77-0.96; P=0.007）. However, no significant effects were observed on the incidence of new AF, cardiac death, myocardial infarction, and stroke. Our results suggest that ACEI/ ARBs may reduce the incidence of AF recurrence and congestive heart failure, with fewer serious adverse effects.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors from plants: A review of their diversity, modes of action, prospects, and concerns in the management of diabetes-centric complications

Angiotensin-converting enzyme(ACE)inhibitors are antihypertensive medications often used in the treatment of diabetes-related complications.Synthetic ACE inhibitors are known to cause serious side effects like hypotension,renal insufficiency,and hyperkalaemia.Therefore,there has been an intensifying search for natural ACE inhibitors.Many plants or plant-based extracts are known to possess ACEinhibitory activity.In this review,articles focusing on the natural ACE inhibitors extracted from plants were retrieved from databases like Google Scholar,Pub Med,Scopus,and Web of Science.We have found more than 50 plant species with ACE-inhibitory activity.Among them,Angelica keiskei,Momordica charantia,Muntingia calabura,Prunus domestica,and Peperomia pellucida were the most potent,showing comparatively lower half-maximal inhibitory concentration values.Among the bioactive metabolites,peptides(e.g.,Tyr-Glu-Pro,Met-Arg-Trp,and Gln-Phe-Tyr-Ala-Val),phenolics(e.g.,cyanidin-3-Osambubioside and delphinidin-3-O-sambubioside),flavonoids([-]-epicatechin,astilbin,and eupatorin),terpenoids(ursolic acid and oleanolic acid)and alkaloids(berberine and harmaline)isolated from several plant and fungus species were found to possess significant ACE-inhibitory activity.These were also known to possess promising antioxidant,antidiabetic,antihyperlipidemic and anti-inflammatory activities.Considering the minimal side effects and lower toxicity of herbal compounds,development of antihypertensive drugs from these plant extracts or phytocompounds for the treatment of diabetesassociated complications is an important endeavour.This review,therefore,focuses on the ACE inhibitors extracted from different plant sources,their possible mechanisms of action,present status,and any safety concerns.

Use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin Ⅱ receptor blockers in context of COVID-19 outbreak:a retrospective analysis

The possible effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors(ACEIs)or angiotensin Ⅱ receptor blockers(ARBs)on COVID-19 disease severity have generated considerable debate.We performed a single-center,retrospective analysis of hospitalized adult COVID-19 patients in Wuhan,China,who had definite clinical outcome(dead or discharged)by February 15,2020.Patients on anti-hypertensive treatment with or without ACEI/ARB were compared on their clinical characteristics and outcomes.The medical records from 702 patients were screened.Among the 101 patients with a history of hypertension and taking at least one anti-hypertensive medication,40 patients were receiving ACEI/ARB as part of their regimen,and 61 patients were on antihypertensive medication other than ACEI/ARB.We observed no statistically significant differences in percentages of in-hospital mortality(28%vs.34%,P=0.46),ICU admission(20%vs.28%,P=0.37)or invasive mechanical ventilation(18%vs.26%,P=0.31)between patients with or without ACEI/ARB treatment.Further multivariable adjustment of age and gender did not provide evidence for a significant association between ACEI/ARB treatment and severe COVID-19 outcomes.Our findings confirm the lack of an association between chronic receipt of reninangiotensin system antagonists and severe outcomes of COVID-19.Patients should continue previous antihypertensive therapy until further evidence is available.

Potential protective role of ACE-inhibitors and AT1 receptor blockers against levodopa-induced dyskinesias:a retrospective case-control study

Growing evidence has highlighted that angiotensin-converting enzyme(ACE)-inhibitors(ACEi)/AT1 receptor blockers(ARBs)may influence the complex interplay between dopamine and the renin-angiotensin system in the nigrostriatal pathway,thus affecting the development of levodopa-induced dyskinesia in Parkinson’s disease(PD).In the present study,we analyzed whether the use of this class of medication was associated with a reduced occurrence of levodopa-induced dyskinesia,using electronically-stored information of idiopathic PD patients enrolled at Novara University Hospital“Maggiore della Carità”.We conducted a retrospective case-control study identifying PD patients with dyskinesias(PwD;n=47)as cases.For each PwD we selected a non-dyskinetic control(NoD),nearly perfectly matched according to sex,Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale(UPDRS)part III score,and duration of antiparkinsonian treatment.Binary logistic regression was used to evaluate whether dyskinesias were associated with ACEi/ARBs use.Ninety-four PD patients were included,aged 72.18±9 years,with an average disease duration of 10.20±4.8 years and 9.04±4.9 years of antiparkinsonian treatment.The mean UPDRS part III score was 18.87±7.6 and the median HY stage was 2.In the NoD group,25(53.2%)were users and 22(46.8%)non-users of ACEi/ARBs.Conversely,in the PwD group,11(23.4%)were users and 36 non-users(76.6%)of this drug class(Pearson chi-square=8.824,P=0.003).Concerning general medication,there were no other statistically significant differences between groups.After controlling for tremor dominant phenotype,levodopa equivalent daily dose,HY 3-4,and disease duration,ACEi/ARBs use was a significant predictor of a lower occurrence of dyskinesia(OR=0.226,95%CI:0.080-0.636,P=0.005).Therefore,our study suggests that ACEi/ARBs may reduce levodopa-induced dyskinesia occurrence and,thanks to good tolerability and easy management,represent a feasible choice when dealing with the treatment of hypertension in PD patients.The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Novara University Hospital“Maggiore della Carità”(CE 65/16)on July 27,2016.

Use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers increases the risk of postoperative acute kidney injury after elective endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair

Background: Endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) is the major treatment for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA);however, EVAR still carries a considerable risk of acute kidney injury (AKI). The present study aimed to investigate the risk factors for AKI after elective EVAR procedures.Methods: This was a retrospective observational study. Eligible patients who underwent EVAR from September 2011 to March 2019 in West China Hospital were included. The primary outcome was the occurrence of AKI within two days after EVAR, which was defined by the Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes Clinical Practice Guideline. Demographics, comorbidities, medications, laboratory tests, anatomical parameters of AAA, and relative operative details were collected as variables. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were applied to identify the risk factors among variables, and covariate interactions were further assessed.Results: A total of 679 eligible patients were included. The incidence of postoperative AKI was 8.2% (56/679) in the whole cohort, and it was associated with a lower 5-year survival rate (63.5%vs. 80.9%;χ^(2) = 4.10;P = 0.043). The multivariable logistic regression showed that chronic kidney disease (OR, 5.06;95% CI: 1.43-17.95;P = 0.012), angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs)/angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) (OR, 2.60;95% CI: 1.17-5.76;P = 0.019), and short neck (OR, 2.85;95% CI: 1.08-7.52;P = 0.035) were independent risk factors for postoperative AKI. In the covariate interaction analysis, the effect of ACEIs/ARBs use on postoperative AKI was similar across all subgroups (P > 0.05), thereby suggesting a robust effect of ACEIs/ARBs use in all patients undergoing elective endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair.Conclusions: Postoperative AKI was associated with lower survival rate, and the use of ACEIs/ARBs was the only adjustable independent risk factor. Clinicians should consider withdrawing ACEIs/ARBs in high-risk patients undergoing elective endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair to prevent postoperative AKI.

CHRONIC EFFECTS OF EARLY ANGIOTENSIN-CONVERTING ENZYME INHIBITOR (QUINAPRIL) OR ANGIOTENSIN II RECEPTOR BLOCKADE (LOSARTAN) ON HEMODYNAMICS AND REMODELING IN RATS AFTER EXPERIMENTAL MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION

The long-term effects of an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor on hemodynamics and remodeling

酶解鳕鱼皮制备血管紧张素转换酶抑制剂ACEI的研究

鳕鱼皮脱除杂蛋白、脂肪后,经海洋低温碱性蛋白酶YS-80水解,制备具有血管紧张素转换酶抑制剂活性的降血压肽,以紫外分光光度法检测HHL体系的紫外吸收确定降压肽的活性。通过温度、pH值、酶料比、料水比,时间等单因素实验,选取合理水平,做L18(37)正交实验,最终优化得到最佳制备条件为温度41℃、pH9.0、酶料比为840U/g、料水比50g/L、反应时间60min。此条件下所得降压肽的血管紧张素转换酶抑制率为82.13%,IC50为2.73mg/mL(以蛋白质计)。该工艺的成熟与完善,为利用海洋低值产物开发海洋生物酶转化肽、寻找活性先导化合物提供了思路,给海洋低值成品的开发带来了良好的前景。