Tissue Renin-Angiotensin Systems : Current Concepts of Local Regulators in Reproductive and Endocrine Organs

Recent progress in recombinant DNA technology and the availability of a number of nonpeptide subtype-specific receptor antagonists and of specific antibodies to components of prorenin-renin-angiotensin system (PRAS) have led to rapid advances in the under­ standing of the multifaceted role of angiotensin II, classically known as a peptide hormone of cardiovascular homeostasis. Accumulating evidence sug­ responsible for the regulation gests that, in addition to its role in salt and water metabolism, PRAS may control other physiological functions including neurosecretion, cellular proliferation, hypertrophy and/or differentiation, angiogenesis and gonadal function. At the same time, it is becoming evident that the specialized functions of endocrine glands are not only regulated by trophic hormones but also by locally produced paracrine/autocrine factors. The concept is emerging that tissue PRAS is one such locally active regulatory system. With more and more reproductive and endocrine organs being added to the list of tissues that contain a local tissue PRAS, questions are being raised by the reproductive biologists and endocrinologists as to the role of such systems in the tissues of their interest. On the other hand, the cardiovascular and renovascular physiologists are wondering about the relevance of PRAS in various peripheral tissues compared to those of the classical cardiovascular organs. It appeared, therefore, that the time was ripe for a meeting to consider a merger of interest in these two important but heretofore distinct areas of physiology. Front Matter....Pages i-xi The Mammalian Pineal Gland and Reproduction....Pages 1-14 Neuroendocrine Control of Reproduction....Pages 15-32 Endocrine, Paracrine and Autocrine Regulation of Testicular Steroidogenesis....Pages 33-54 Gonadotrophin Control of Testicular Germ Cell Development....Pages 55-65 Current Aspects of Autocrine and Paracrine Regulation of Spermatogenesis....Pages 67-86 Role of the Epididymis in Mediating Changes in the Male Gamete during Maturation....Pages 87-101 Ovarian Follicular Growth, Ovulation and Atresia....Pages 103-119 Ovulation as a Tissue Remodelling Process....Pages 121-140 Biochemistry and Cell Biology of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme and Converting Enzyme Inhibitors....Pages 141-168 Angiotensin II Receptors....Pages 169-192 The Angiotensin Type 1 and Type 2 Receptor Families....Pages 193-215 Angiotensin II in Cell Growth and Matrix Production....Pages 217-223 Angiotensin as a Renal Growth Promoting Factor....Pages 225-236 The Adrenal Renin/Angiotensin System....Pages 237-251 The Tissue Renin-Angiotensin System in the Female Reproductive Tissues....Pages 253-268 Relevance of the Tissue Prorenin-Renin-Angiotensin System to Male Reproductive Physiology....Pages 269-277 Role of the Cardiac Renin-Angiotensin System in Human Heart Failure....Pages 279-283 Transcriptional Silencer in Intron I of the Rat Renin Gene....Pages 285-292 In Field-Stimulated Guinea-Pig Atria an AT1-Receptor Mediated Increase of Noradrenaline Release by Angiotensin II is Seen only in the Presence of Prejunctional Autoinhibition....Pages 293-298 Association between the Renin Angiotensin System and Anaphylaxis....Pages 299-309 Cloning, Expression and Regulation of Angiotensin II Receptors....Pages 311-317 The Relationship between the Adrenal Tissue Renin-Angiotensin System, Internalization of the Type I Angiotensin II Receptor (AT1) and Angiotensin II Function in the Rat Adrenal Zona Glomerulosa Cell....Pages 319-329 AT 1 Receptors and Angiotensin Actions in the Brain and Neuronal Cultures of Normotensive and Hypertensive Rats....Pages 331-348 Angiotensin Peptides in the Brain....Pages 349-355 Brain Angiotensin and the Female Reproductive Cycle....Pages 357-370 Is Estrogen-Induced Pituitary Hyperplasia and Hyperprolactinaemia Mediated by Angiotensin II?....Pages 371-378 The Ovarian Renin-Angiotensin System....Pages 379-389 The Pathophysiology of Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS)....Pages 391-398 Paracrine Regulation of the Bovine Ovarian Prorenin-Renin-Angiotensin-System....Pages 399-406 Regulation of Angiotensin II Receptor Expression in Ovarian Follicles....Pages 407-410 Regulation of Utero-Placental Prorenin....Pages 411-426 The Choriodecidual Renin Controversy Revisited....Pages 427-434 Coda....Pages 435-440 Back Matter....Pages 441-458 Based on a conference that was held in Hamburg, Germany in July 1994 as a satellite meeting of the 3rd European Endocrinology Conference, the scope of this volume has been expanded to include not only the topics presented at the conference, but also reviews of other aspects of the prorenin-renin-angiotensin system biology. Section A contains current reviews on general aspects of reproductive biology and endocrinology. Section B deals with recent advances in the understanding of the biology of the renin-angiotensin system. The papers presented by the invited participants at the conference and those selected from submitted abstracts are grouped in Section C.