Prothrombin-derived peptides:design,synthesis and cardioprotective properties

摘要

Despite several decades of research into the thrombin and renin-angiotensin system(RAS),new aspects of these systems are elucidated every few years,expanding they role not only in hypertension but also in cardiology,diabetes,and oncology.It is established that extensive injury is associated with increases in activity of the thrombin system and with a rise in circulating angiotensin(Ang II),the main effector of the RAS.Both these systems are activated during myocardial ischaemia and over-activity of these systems contributes to the progression of heart failure.Although thrombin and RAS inhibition has become a major therapeutic target in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases,the problem of the ischaemic disease,myocardium infarction,cardiac insufficiency and sudden cardiac death remains unsolved.There are a number of questions that still need answers with respect to the nonproteolytic functions of thrombin as well as angiotensin-converting enzyme(ACE),a key regulator of the RAS.