ANGIOTENSIN-II - A PEPTIDERGIC NEUROTRANSMITTER IN CENTRAL AUTONOMIC PATHWAYS

Over the past 20 years a growing body of evidence has been directed to establishing the roles of angiotensin II (ANG) within the central ner vous system. When this work began in the late 1970s the concept that t his circulating hormone may also act as a neurotransmitter within the brain was contrary to the established dogma regarding synaptic transmi ssion. There is now substantial anatomical data describing the distrib ution of ANG receptors, and the biochemical machinery for the producti on of this peptide, within the CNS. In addition many studies have desc ribed physiological and cellular consequences of activation of these r eceptors by both exogenous administration and endogenous release of AN G. Data from single cell studies are now also beginning to elucidate b oth signal transduction pathways and ion channels, influenced as a con sequence of peptide actions at these receptors. These observations eff ectively establish the status of ANG as a chemical messenger (neurotra nsmitter) used for synaptic communication by specific populations of C NS neurons. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.