Hypertension and the bradykinin system.

The blood pressure-lowering property of the brady-kinin system has been documented for more than eight decades. The bradykinin system is involved in the mediation and modulation of the vasoconstrictor renin-angiotensin system and the vasodilators prostaglandin, prostacyclin, and nitric oxide in regulating sodium water balance, renal and cardiac hemodynamics, and blood pressure. Reduced activity of the bradykinin system has been observed in various hypertensive situations in both clinical and experimental models of hypertension. Antihypertensive properties of the angiotensin-converting enzyme or kininase II inhibitors are primarily mediated via the bradykinin-releasing pathway, which may also cause regression of left ventricular hypertrophy in hypertensive situations. The ability of kallikrein gene delivery to produce a wide spectrum of beneficial effects makes it an excellent candidate for treating hypertension and cardiovascular and renal diseases. In addition, stable bradykinin agonists may also be available in the future as therapeutic agents for cardio-vascular and renal disorders.