The cardiac renin-angiotensin system: novel signaling mechanisms related to cardiac growth and function

Angiotensin II, the effector peptide of the renin-angiotensin system, has been demonstrated to be involved in the regulation of cellular growth of several tissues in response to developmental, physiological, and pathological processes. The recent identification of renin-angiotensin system components and localization of angiotensin II receptors in cardiac tissue suggests that locally synthesized Ang II can modulate functional and growth responses in cardiac tissue. In this review, regulation of the cardiac RAS is discussed, with an emphasis on growth-related Ang II signal transduction systems.