Angiotensin II causes cardiovascular injury in part by aldosterone-induced mineralocorticoid receptor activation, and it can also activate the mineralocorticoid receptor in the absence of aldosterone in vitro. Here we tested whether endogenous aldosterone contributes to angiotensin II/salt-induced cardiac, vascular, and renal injury by the mineralocorticoid receptor. Aldosterone synthase knocko...

BACKGROUND Oedema formation in nephrotic syndrome (NS) may be associated with volume overload or volume contraction. The present study investigates if plasma aldosterone was related to a clinical course symptomatic of either volume expansion or hypovolaemia. METHODS Twenty patients with NS were included. Blood and urine samples were collected before treatment of NS and at stable remission. Al...

Aldosterone enhances Na(+) reabsorption via epithelial Na(+) channels (ENaC). Aldosterone also stimulates the protein kinase ERK1/2- and the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor (EGFR)-signaling pathway. Yet EGF and ERK1/2 are known inhibitors of ENaC-mediated Na(+) reabsorption. In the present study, using the well-established Madin-Darby canine kidney C7 cell line, we tested the hypothesis ...

Hypertension is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and disordered sodium balance has long been implicated in its pathogenesis. Aldosterone is perhaps the key regulator of sodium balance and thus blood pressure. The sodium chloride cotransporter (NCC) in the distal convoluted tubule of the kidney is a major site of sodium reabsorption and plays a key role in blood pressure reg...

In an earlier report (1), it was suggested from cross circulation experiments that a humoral agent provides the immediate stimulus for aldosterone production. It was proposed that this humoral substance be called the aldosterone-stimulating hormone (ASH). The present experiments were designed to determine the locus of secretion of ASH. Specific regions or organs which might be the source of ASH...

Experimental studies have suggested a role for aldosterone and glucocorticoids in the pathogenesis of endothelial dysfunction. We therefore set out to characterize the acute effects of these hormones on vascular function in vivo in normal humans. A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind crossover study was performed on 16 healthy male volunteers (aged 19-29 years), examining the vascular ...

Experience with the DOCA test (measurement of urinary excretion of aldosterone before and after 3 days of administration of 10 mg deoxycorticosterone acetate [DOCA] intramuscularly every 12 hours while on high sodium intake) is presented in 129 hypertensive patients to define its usefulness in discriminating between autonomous and nonautonomous production of aldosterone. All patients who did no...

AIMS Plasma aldosterone levels have been shown to be associated with adverse clinical outcomes after ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). We investigated whether aldosterone levels in patients presenting with STEMI or non-STEMI, are predictive of mortality during prolonged follow-up. METHODS AND RESULTS Aldosterone levels were assayed in plasma taken from 583 patients within 24-96 h fo...

BACKGROUND Statins substantially reduce cardiovascular mortality and appear to have beneficial effects independent of their lipid-lowering properties. We evaluated the hypothesis that statin use may modulate the secretion of aldosterone, a well-known contributor to cardiovascular disease. METHODS AND RESULTS We measured adrenal hormones in 2 intervention studies. In study 1 in hypertensive su...

Aldosterone is a steroid with mineralocorticoid activity produced mostly by the adrenal glomerulosa. Aldosterone may also be generated in the heart and blood vessels, although there is controversy on whether the amounts produced are physiologically relevant. The classical target of aldosterone is the distal convoluted tubule of the kidney, where it acts on cytosolic mineralocorticoid receptors ...