Expression of classical components of the renin-angiotensin system in the human eye.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the relative expression of clinically-relevant components of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in the adult human eye.

Methods: We obtained 14 post-mortem enucleated human eyes from patients whom had no history of inflammatory ocular disease nor pre-mortem ocular infection. We determined the gene expression for prorenin, renin, prorenin receptor, angiotensin-converting enzyme, angiotensinogen and angiotensin II Type 1 receptor, on tissue sections and in cultured human primary retinal pigment epithelial and iris pigment epithelial (RPE/IPE) cell lines, using both qualitative and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).