Angiotensine II

Angiotensin II plays an essential role in the maintenance of blood pressure and blood volume. It is a peptide hormone that causes vasoconstriction, a sensation of thirst, and stimulation of the adrenal cortex and aldosterone. Derived from the cleavage of angiotensin I by the angiotensin converting enzyme, angiotensin II is involved in the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) . Angiotensin II is the subject of much scientific research and is already the target of many anti-hypertensive drugs (ACE inhibitors, ARBs or AT1 receptor antagonists) . Involvement in Covid-19 : The Sars-CoV-2 responsible for Covid-19 binds to angiotensin II converting enzyme receptors to infect human cells. These receptors are found in large numbers in certain organs, so the virus can have deleterious effects: – in the nose, these receptors are numerous on the mucous membrane, resulting in the loss of the sense of smell; – In the brain, these receptors are present in the cortex and brain stem and affected patients suffer from convulsions, confusion and inflammation of the brain; – The virus would also enter via these receptors into the heart and the cells lining the blood vessels. This causes arrhythmia and clotting, which can lead to pulmonary embolism or stroke. Involvement in Alzheimer’s disease : Studies have shown that patients treated with ARBs were less likely to get the disease. And their condition was less severe if they did get it.