AGTR1 and congestive heart failure: Moreover, mineralocorticoid receptor blockers such as spironolactone, which prevents increases in both ACE and AT1R mRNA levels and the associated increase in AT1R density from aldosterone signaling in cardiomyocytes (75, 76), increase ACE2 mRNA expression and activity in monocyte-derived macrophages from patients with chronic heart failure (72).