Review Article

The Angiotensin-Melatonin Axis

Figure 1

Pineal renin-angiotensin system (RAS) interacts with melatonin synthesis. Angiotensin II, produced from angiotensinogen produced by glial cells, acts on AT1b receptors present on pinealocytes to stimulate tryptophan hydroxylase, which is the rate-limiting enzyme in melatonin synthesis. Both angiotensin and melatonin may interact to regulate rhythmicity either centrally in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) or peripherally in clocks present in several cardiovascular organs.
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