AT1 expression in human urethral stricture tissue

摘要

BackgroundUrethral stricture has a high recurrence rate. There is a common doctrine stating that “once a stricture, always a stricture”. This fibrotic disease pathophysiology, pathologically characterized by excessive production, deposition and contraction of extracellular matrix is unknown. Angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptor primarily induces angiogenesis, cellular proliferation and inflammatory responses. AT1 receptors are also expressed in the fibroblasts of hypertrophic scars, whereas angiotensin II (AngII) regulates DNA synthesis in hypertrophic scar fibroblasts through a negative cross talk between AT1 and angiotensin II type 2 (AT2) receptors, which might contribute to the formation and maturation of human hypertrophic scars.