To reduce the effects of angiotensin II, there are several possibilities:
To decrease synthesis and release of angiotensinogen. For the moment, there is no drug acting specifically by this mechanism.
To act on renin: either to decrease its secretion by administration, for example, of beta-blockers or to decrease its effects by specific antagonists. Currently there is no specific renin antagonist in clinical use.
To inhibit angiotensin converting enzyme. I.e. to inhibit the transformation of inactive angiotensin I into active angiotensin II. ACE inhibitors are very much used in therapeutics. Up to now there is no chymase inhibitor on the market.
T o inhibit angiotensin II effects, many angiotensin II antagonists are available.
To inhibit aldosterone effects by aldosterone antagonists.
It is also possible to inhibit pro - inflammatory effects of bradykinin but there is no specific antagonist yet available.
Among these possibilities, those which are exploited today in therapeutics are inhibition of effects of angiotensin II and inhibition of ACE.
