HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: EJE-08-0828v1 160/3/453    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Morello, F Articles by Veglio, F Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Morello, F Articles by Veglio, F

Adrenal endothelin-1 levels are not associated with aldosterone secretion in primary aldosteronism

Fourth Division of Internal Medicine and Hypertension Unit, San Giovanni Battista Hospital of Torino, University of Torino, Via Genova 3, 10126 Torino, Italy¹ Clinical Chemistry Laboratory, San Giovanni Battista Hospital of Torino, Torino, Italy² GeneNews Ltd, Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada

(Correspondence should be addressed to F Morello; Email: fulvio.morello{at}unito.it)

Background: Endothelin-1 (ET-1) may function as an aldosterone secretagogue and, in turn, aldosterone can upregulate ET-1 expression. Hence, the existence of a feedforward loop involving ETs and aldosterone has been speculated in primary aldosteronism (PA). In the present study, we sought to examine ET-1 secretion from the adrenal glands in patients with PA.

Design: We determined ET-1 levels in blood samples obtained during adrenal venous sampling of patients affected by PA (n=17). Furthermore, we examined the mRNA expression of the ET system in tissue samples from aldosterone-producing adenomas (APAs, n=9) and control normal adrenals (n=3).

Methods: Blood ET-1 levels were determined by RIA. Tissue mRNA expression of the ET system was assayed with Affymetrix microarrays.

Results: ET-1 levels did not differ between inferior vena cava and adrenal vein blood in both bilateral adrenal hyperplasia and APA patients. Moreover, cortisol-normalized ET-1 levels did not show lateralized adrenal ET-1 secretion in APAs. Through gene expression profiling with microarray performed in a distinct set of APA individuals (n=9), we confirmed the adrenal expression of a complete ET system, but we did not detect a significant upregulation of ET components within the APA tissue compared with normal adrenals.

Conclusions: The present data argue against the hypothesis of increased ET-1 secretion from APAs and do not support a general role for adrenal ET-1 in the vascular pathophysiology of PA.