Mas Receptor Agonists as Novel Antihypertensive Agents

It is well known that the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) plays a pivotal role in the control of the cardiovascular and renal systems and in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular and renal diseases. The classical concept of the RAS has been changed in the recent years by the inclusion of novels components. Among the novel components of the RAS, Angiotensin(Ang)-(1-7), its major forming enzyme angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) 2 and its receptor, the G protein-coupled receptor Mas, have been the subject of many recent studies aimed to clarify the role of this novel axis of the RAS. This axis appears to act as a counter-regulatory mechanism for the classical axis represented by ACE/Ang II/AT1 receptor in several conditions, including hypertension and others cardiovascular diseases. In this review we will focus on the potential use of Mas agonists as anti-hypertensive drugs.