RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of telmisartan on the expression of angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) mRNA in monocyte-derived macrophages of hypertensive patients accompanied with diabetes. METHODS: 62 essential hypertensive patients accompanied with diabetes were randomly divided into two groups: regular treatment group, and telmisartan group. Then the content of ACE and ACE2 in serum was detected by ELISA, and the expression of ACE mRNA and ACE2 mRNA in monocyte-derived macrophages of patients was detected by RT-PCR before and after having been treated. RESULTS: (1) After having been treated for 4 weeks and 12 weeks, the blood pressure of the patients in two groups were decreased significantly, Comparing with regular group, telmisartan group seemed to have more obvious therapeutic effect (P < 0.05); (2) After having been treated for 12 weeks, glycosylated hemoglobin diseased in both group, but there was no significant difference between the two group (P > 0.05); (3) In telmisartan group, the content of ACE2 in serum was increased after having been treated for 12 weeks than that in regular treatment group, [(23.9 ± 8.2) U/L vs (16.3 ± 8.9) U/L, P < 0.05]; and the expression of ACE2 mRNA in monocyte-derived macrophages in telmisartan group was obviously increased after 12 weeks comparing with regular treatment group (0.73 ± 0.06 vs 0.51 ± 0.04, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The role of telmisartan in decreasing blood pressure and it's advantage to the metabolism of glucose are partly related with the up-regulation of ACE2 mRNA.