“…Angiotensin II is a potent vasoconstrictor, besides promoting sympathetic activation. It also induces proliferation of smooth muscle cells and increases glomerular and tubular expression of several growth factors, cytokines and chemokines, which can result in glomerular hypertrophy, sclerosis, tubulointerstitial inflammation, and fibrosis (7, 9, 20, 21). Angiotensin II is now recognized as a proinflammatory agent able to modulate immunologic and inflammatory responses in endothelial, renal tubular and smooth muscle cells, such as chemotaxis, proliferation and differentiation of monocytes into macrophages (22), whereas aldosterone, primarily promotes salt retention.…”