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Endocrine · Reference monograph

Vasoconstrictor peptide used in selected critical-care settings

Reference compound — not available from Purity Peptides. Shown for research context.

Overview

Angiotensin II is an octapeptide and the principal effector hormone of the renin-angiotensin system. Its discovery in the late 1930s was a case of parallel research: groups led by Eduardo Braun-Menendez in Argentina and Irvine Page in the United States independently identified a pressor substance formed from plasma by renin, naming it hypertensin and angiotonin respectively. The two teams later agreed on the hybrid name angiotensin, and the peptide was sequenced and synthesised in the 1950s.

A synthetic form of human angiotensin II was approved by the FDA in 2017 and later by the EMA for vasodilatory shock, following a phase 3 trial in which it was added to standard vasopressors. Research interest in angiotensin II is broad. It is central to studies of blood pressure regulation, cardiac and vascular remodelling, renal haemodynamics, aldosterone secretion and inflammation. Pharmacology of its system underpins entire medicine classes, including ACE inhibitors and AT1 receptor blockers. Interest also grew when ACE2, which degrades angiotensin II, was identified as the SARS-CoV-2 entry receptor.

Mechanism studied

  1. Angiotensin II
  2. AT1 receptor
  3. Vasoconstriction
  4. Blood pressure ↑

Angiotensin II is generated when angiotensin-converting enzyme cleaves two residues from angiotensin I, mainly in pulmonary endothelium. It acts primarily on the AT1 receptor, a Gq-coupled GPCR in vascular smooth muscle, adrenal cortex, kidney and brain. AT1 activation causes vasoconstriction, stimulates aldosterone release, promotes sodium reabsorption and triggers thirst and vasopressin secretion. The AT2 receptor often opposes these actions. ACE2 converts angiotensin II to angiotensin 1-7, which acts through the Mas receptor. In shock research, exogenous angiotensin II offers a vasoconstrictor mechanism distinct from catecholamines and vasopressin.

Research highlights

  • 01Independently discovered in Argentina and the United States in the late 1930s, leading to the shared name angiotensin.
  • 02Elucidation of the renin-angiotensin cascade enabled the development of ACE inhibitors and AT1 receptor blockers.
  • 03A phase 3 trial in catecholamine-resistant vasodilatory shock supported its 2017 FDA approval.
  • 04Discovery of ACE2 and the angiotensin 1-7 axis added a counter-regulatory arm to the system.
  • 05Open questions include which shock phenotypes, such as those with high renin levels, show the greatest response.

Latest published research

58,332 papers on PubMed →

  1. AA in Hypertension and Preeclampsia

    Das UN et al. · Reviews of physiology, biochemistry and pharmacology · 2027 · PMID 42834212

  2. Oxidative eustress is associated with AMPK and AKT activation, GLUT4 translocation and glucose uptake in skeletal muscle cells and fibres

    Martín-Prieto E et al. · Redox report : communications in free radical research · 2026 Dec 31 · PMID 42693074

  3. Adiponectin improves the aortic dissection by inhibiting inflammatory cell infiltration and macrophage pyroptosis

    Zhong K et al. · Clinical and experimental hypertension (New York, N.Y. : 1993) · 2026 Dec 31 · PMID 42366506

  4. Global analyses of genomic and epigenomic influences on gene expression reveal Serpina3n as a major regulator of cardiac gene expression in response to catecholamine challenge during heart failure

    Lahue C et al. · Epigenetics · 2026 Dec 31 · PMID 41855523

  5. A near-infrared fluorescent probe for hypochlorous acid enables high-content screening of natural products for hypertension intervention

    Hou K et al. · European journal of medicinal chemistry · 2026 Dec 15 · PMID 42715869

  6. Vasorelaxant and antihypertensive effects of salicylaldehyde: Involvement of renin-angiotensin system and calcium/potassium channel modulation

    Bouadid I et al. · European journal of pharmacology · 2026 Dec 10 · PMID 42858776

  7. Telmisartan: distinct pharmacological features, partial PPAR-γ modulation, and pleiotropic therapeutic potential

    Pandey A et al. · European journal of pharmacology · 2026 Dec 10 · PMID 42843700

  8. Eugenol attenuates ferroptosis, mitochondrial damage, and inflammation in cardiac hypertrophy via the 14-3-3γ/AMPKα2 pathway

    Zhao ST et al. · European journal of pharmacology · 2026 Dec 10 · PMID 42833570

Live feed from PubMed (NCBI) for “Angiotensin II”, updated 2026-10-30. Listing a paper is not an endorsement of its findings.

Registered studies

356 on ClinicalTrials.gov →

From the public ClinicalTrials.gov registry for “Angiotensin II”, updated 2026-10-30. Shown for research context only; Purity Peptides products are not for human use.

Key references

  1. [1]Manufacturer's prescribing information — FDA / EMA / ANVISA
  2. [2]Khanna et al., 2017 — N Engl J Med 377:419–430

FAQ

  • Two groups, one in Buenos Aires and one in Indianapolis, independently found a pressor peptide generated by renin from plasma in the late 1930s. They merged their names, hypertensin and angiotonin, into angiotensin.

  • The AT1 receptor, a Gq-coupled GPCR, mediates vasoconstriction, aldosterone release and sodium retention. The AT2 receptor frequently has opposing effects, and the balance between them is an active research topic.

  • Yes. A synthetic human angiotensin II product is approved by the FDA and EMA for vasodilatory shock. Research-grade angiotensin II is widely used as a laboratory tool for studying the renin-angiotensin system.

FOR RESEARCH USE ONLY.Not for human or veterinary use. Not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

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