Captopril (an inhibitor of angiotensin converting enzyme) inhibits obstructive changes in the neonatal rabbit bladder

Local renin–angiotensin systems in the genitourinary tract

“…Beyond its role in detrusor SMC contraction, just as has been demonstrated in the penile RAS, Ang II is also a local trophic factor that regulates smooth muscle growth under normal and pathologic lower urinary tract conditions (Cheng et al 1997;Park et al 1998).…”

“…The typical response of the bladder to outflow obstruction mirrors the response of the left ventricle to arterial hypertension-SMC hypertrophy/hyperplasia and increased collagen deposition (Gilmom et al 1994;Kim et al 1991;Shapiro et al 1991;Peters et al 1992a;Kato et al 1990;Uvelius et al 1991). Over the past two decades, evidence has established the role of Ang II as a local trophic factor in the bladder wall, involved in pathways regulating cellular growth, as well as collagen deposition (Cheng et al 1996(Cheng et al , 1997Lindberg et al 1994;Kato et al 1991;Simon et al 1994;Simon and Altman 1992;Dzau and Pratt 1993;Andersson et al 1992).…”

“…Renin, a protease produced by renal juxtaglomerular cells, cleaves the Nterminus of angiotensinogen, forming angiotensin I (Ang I). Ang I is then converted to the octapeptide Ang II in the lungs (Palmer et al 1997;Cheng et al 1997)-via ACE. In addition, Ang I may be acted upon by chymase (a chymotrypsin-like serine protease released from mast cells) in an alternative catalysis pathway, producing Ang II.…”

“…It is not surprising, therefore, that hyperactivity of the systemic RAS mediates pathophysiologic processes such as arterial hypertension and vascular smooth muscle and cardiac muscular proliferation-by way of hypertrophy and hyperplasia. (Jin 2009;Cheng et al 1997;Palmer et al 1997;Park et al 2005b).…”

“…Ang II has been demonstrated to serve a functional role in the penis (Comiter et al 1997), clitoris, (Park et al 2002), urethral sphincter (Phull et al 2007a, b), ureter (Santis et al 2003), and in the bladder (Cheng et al 1997). Within each genitourinary local RAS, Ang II is synthesized and modulated independent of the systemic RAS, thereby regulating local tissue physiology.…”