AGTR1 and diabetes mellitus: In accordance, there is an upregulation of AT2 receptors in rat thoracic aorta under conditions associated with vascular tissue damage, such as diabetes and hypertension [20, 44], and Ang II produced a concentration-dependent relaxation in endothelium-intact and endothelium-denuded rat thoracic aorta in the presence, but not in the absence, of AT1 selective antagonists (losartan or valsartan) [20].