AGT and Hypertension: Previously, by using an in vitro myocardial cell culture and an animal hypertension model (by abdominal aorta ligation resulting in an elevation in Ang II), we found that Ang II induces IGF-II and IGF-IIR gene expression that is mediated by JNK and ERK activation, and sequentially, IGF-IIR induces Gαq, PKC-α/CaMKIIc and calcineurin activation [9].