High cardiac angiotensin-II-forming activity in infarcted and non-infarcted human myocardium

The aims of this study were to compare human cardiac angiotensin-II-forming activity (AIIFA) between the intact area of control autopsy hearts without cardiac disease (n = 10) and the infarcted or non-infarcted area of autops y hearts with myocardial infarction (MI, n = 7) and to determine responsibl e angiotensin-ll-forming enzymes. Cardiac total and chymase-dependent AIIFA s were significantly higher in the infarcted and non-infarcted myocardium t han those in non-Mi heart, while angiotensin-converting enzyme-dependent AI IFA increased only in the infarcted myocardium, The density of chymase anti body-positive mast cells in the non-infarcted area of MI heart correlated p ositively with total or chymase-dependent AIIFA, Augmented AIIFA was also d etected in the left atrium of post-MI hearts. Our results indicated that ca rdiac angiotensin II formation could be activated in the infarcted as well as in non-infarcted myocardium of the post-MI human heart, Copyright (C) 20 01 S. Karger AG, Basel.