A new study published in Hypertension Research has found that commonly prescribed high blood pressure medications, such as ACE inhibitors and ARBs, can have unexpected side effects when combined with a new enzyme called ACE2. The researchers at Penn Dental Medicine used a plant-encapsulated system to deliver oral ACE2 to dogs with elevated systolic blood pressure.
The study’s lead author, Henry Daniell, notes that the combination of ACE inhibitors and ACE2 resulted in the inhibition of ACE2 activity in some cases, while ARBs increased angiotensin II levels. This is a concern because both mechanisms are intended to lower blood pressure, but instead, they can have the opposite effect.
However, the study also found that not all ACEI drugs inhibited ACE2 activities equally, and lisinopril, a commonly used ACE inhibitor, did not inhibit ACE2 activity. The researchers hope to build on this finding by repeating the study with dogs on lisinopril and using their plant-encapsulation system to evaluate the benefits of ACE2 treatment in humans.
The findings highlight the need for more research into affordable treatments for high blood pressure and suggest that a better understanding of the interactions between different medications may lead to new therapeutic options.
Source: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/penn-dental-medicine-study-finds-133200336.html