AGT and cardiac hypertrophy: Although the exact mechanisms of the cellular responses and pathways associated with cardiac hypertrophy remain unclear, excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and elevated levels of oxidative stress have recently been identified as conditions that accelerate the hypertrophic process.6 Myocardial oxidative stress can be triggered by many factors, including mechanical stretching by pressure overload and various humoral factors, such as angiotensin II (Ang II) and phenylephrine.