Angiotensin Antagonists in Models of Hypertension

During the past 30 years, substantial progress has been made in the development of many antihypertensive agents with different sites and modes of action.1 Newer antihypertensive drugs are effective in the control of high blood pressure with fewer adverse effects than the early agents. Among these new antihypertensive agents, the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors such as captopril, enalapril, and lisinopril have all been reported to be effective in the treatment of various forms of hypertension and congestive heart failure. Further, long-term administration of captopril was associated with an improvement in survival and reduced morbidity and mortality in patients with left ventricular dysfunction after a myocardial infarction.2 These impressive clinical benefits of ACE inhibitors have established the renin—angiotensin system (RAS) as an important target for drug research.3