Reply to: ‘Interaction between RAAS inhibitors and ACE2 in the context of COVID-19’

tive Correspondence (Interaction between RAAS inhibitors and ACE2 in the context of COVID-19. Nat. Rev. Cardiol. https://doi.org/ 10.1038/s41569-020-0368-x (2020))1 on our Comment article (COVID-19 and the cardiovascular system. Nat. Rev. Cardiol. https://doi. org/10.1038/s41569-020-0360-5 (2020))2. We agree with their comments and acknowledge that different renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS) inhibitors have different effects on angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) levels. Ferrario and colleagues3 reported that administration of either ACE inhibitors or angiotensinreceptor blockers (ARBs) increased the levels of Ace2 mRNA in Lewis rats compared with rats receiving placebo. In particular, cardiac levels of Ace2 mRNA increased by 4.7fold or 2.8fold in rats given either lisinopril (an ACE inhibitor) or losartan (an ARB), respectively. Furthermore, the researchers found that losartan treatment, but not lisinopril treatment,…