Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Turin, Turin.
Uni-Astiss, Polo Universitario Rita Levi Montalcini, Asti, Italy.
J Cardiovasc Med (Hagerstown). 2022 Jan 1;23(1):1-11. doi: 10.2459/JCM.0000000000001218.
2020 marked the 20th anniversary of the discovery of the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). This major event that changed the way we see the renin-angiotensin system today could have passed quietly. Instead, the discovery that ACE2 is a major player in the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pandemic has blown up the literature regarding this enzyme. ACE2 connects the classical arm renin-angiotensin system, consisting mainly of angiotensin II peptide and its AT1 receptor, with a protective arm, consisting mainly of the angiotensin 1-7 peptide and its Mas receptor. In this brief article, we have reviewed the literature to describe how ACE2 is a key protective arm enzyme in the function of many organs, particularly in the context of brain and cardiovascular function, as well as in renal, pulmonary and digestive homeostasis. We also very briefly review and refer to recent literature to present an insight into the role of ACE2 in determining the course of coronavirus diseases 2019.
2020 年标志着血管紧张素转换酶 2（ACE2）发现 20 周年。这一改变我们对肾素-血管紧张素系统认识的重大事件原本可能悄无声息地过去。然而，ACE2 是严重急性呼吸系统综合征冠状病毒 2 大流行的主要参与者这一发现，使得关于这种酶的文献如爆炸般涌现。ACE2 将经典的肾素-血管紧张素系统（主要由血管紧张素 II 肽及其 AT1 受体组成）与主要由血管紧张素 1-7 肽及其 Mas 受体组成的保护性系统联系起来。在这篇简短的文章中，我们查阅了文献，描述了 ACE2 如何在许多器官的功能中充当关键的保护性系统酶，特别是在大脑和心血管功能以及肾脏、肺部和消化系统稳态的背景下。我们还简要回顾并参考了最近的文献，深入探讨了 ACE2 在决定 2019 年冠状病毒病病程中的作用。
