AGT and endothelial dysfunction: For example, Wassmann et al. [12] found that IL-6 was involved in upregulation of oxidative stress and impairment of endothelium-dependent vasodilation in vitro and in vivo, and Schrader et al. [11] reported that IL-6-deficient mice were resistant to angiotensin II-induced endothelial dysfunction in carotid arteries, and that vascular O2- level and eNOS expression were preserved by angiotensin II in IL-6-deficient mice.