Interaction between Insulin and AT₁ receptor. Relevance for hypertension and arteriosclerosis

Abstract

The AT₁ receptor mediates many biological effects of the renin angiotensin system such as vasoconstriction and cell proliferation. The expression level of the AT₁ receptor is subjected to various pathophysiological influences. Insulin, which is elevated in the metabolic syndrome, induces a overexpression of vascular AT₁ receptors leading to an enhanced biological efficacy of angiotensin II. This heterologous regulation of the AT₁ receptor by insulin may explain the fact that the metabolic syndrome is frequently associated with hypertension and atherosclerosis.