Experimental and clinical evidence supports the view that the activation
of the renin angiotensin aldosterone system is involved in
cardiovascular pathology including hypertension, heart failure,
myocardial ischemia, and atherosclerosis. The present volume describes
the intricacies involved in these processes, including the in?uence of
prorenin/renin, angiotensin II, angiotensin (1-7), and aldosterone on
cardiac and vascular functions as well as their involvement in the
generation of cardiovascular diseases. Fundamental aspects like
intracellular signaling, regulation of cell volume in the failing heart,
and the presence of an intracrine renin angiotensin system are
discussed. Moreover, the role of the mineralocorticoid receptor as an
important c- ponent of the intracrine renin angiotensin system and as a
regulator of extracellular action of angiotensin II is described,
reinforcing the view that aldosterone inhibitors are helpful in the
treatment of heart failure and hypertension. Let us hope the imp- tant
topics included here motivate basic and clinical investigators and
contribute to the development of new therapeutic approaches for
cardiovascular diseases. We want to thank the distinguished authors and
Humana Press for the opportunity to publish this important book. Walmor
C. DeMello Edward Frohlich v Contents 1 Systemic Versus Local Renin
Angiotensin Systems. An Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . 1 Walmor C. DeMello and Richard N. Re 2 Clinical
Import of the Local Renin Angiotensin Aldosterone Systems . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Edward D. Frohlich 3 Renin,
Prorenin, and the (Pro)Renin Receptor . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Genevieve
Nguyen and Aurelie Contrepas 4 Local Renin Angiotensin Systems in the
Cardiovascular System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . 25 Richard N.
