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Adrenal cortex

About: Adrenal cortex is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 8886 publications have been published within this topic receiving 232746 citations.


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TL;DR: Exogenous ACTH administration to dexamethasone-blocked rats demonstrated that CVS increased maximal plasma and adrenal corticosterone responses to ACTH without affecting sensitivity, and increased adrenal weight after CVS is due to hyperplasia and hypertrophy that occur in specific adrenal subregions and is associated with increased maximal cortic testosterone responses toACTH.
Abstract: The adrenal gland is an essential stress-responsive organ that is part of both the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the sympatho-adrenomedullary system. Chronic stress exposure commonly incr...

427 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is suggested that human adipocytes secrete potent mineralocorticoid-releasing factors, suggesting a direct link between obesity and hypertension.
Abstract: Obesity has become an epidemic problem in western societies, contributing to metabolic diseases, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. Overweight and obesity are frequently associated with increased plasma levels of aldosterone. Recent evidence suggests that human fat is a highly active endocrine tissue. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that adipocyte secretory products directly stimulate adrenocortical aldosterone secretion. Secretory products from isolated human adipocytes strongly stimulated steroidogenesis in human adrenocortical cells (NCI-H295R) with a predominant effect on mineralocorticoid secretion. Aldosterone secretion increased 7-fold during 24 h of incubation. This stimulation was comparable to maximal stimulation of these cells with forskolin (2 x 10(-5) M). On the molecular level, there was a 10-fold increase in the expression of steroid acute regulatory peptide mRNA. This effect was independent of adipose angiotensin II as revealed by the stimulatory effect of fat cell-conditioned medium even in the presence of the angiotensin type 1 receptor antagonist, valsartan. None of the recently defined adipocytokines accounted for the effect. Mineralocorticoid-stimulating activity was heat sensitive and could be blunted by heating fat cell-conditioned medium to 99 degrees C. Centrifugal filtration based on molecular mass revealed at least two releasing factors: a heat sensitive fraction (molecular mass >50 kDa) representing 60% of total activity, and an inactive fraction (molecular mass <50 kDa). However, the recovery rate increased to 92% when combining these two fractions, indicating the interaction of at least two factors. In conclusion, human adipocytes secrete potent mineralocorticoid-releasing factors, suggesting a direct link between obesity and hypertension.

418 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A new syndrome, characterized by hypertrophy and hyperplasia of the juxtaglomerular apparatus of the kidneys, aldosteronism resulting from adrenal corticalhyperplasia, and persistently normal blood pressure is described in two patients.
Abstract: A new syndrome, characterized by hypertrophy and hyperplasia of the juxtaglomerular apparatus of the kidneys, aldosteronism resulting from adrenal cortical hyperplasia, and persistently normal blood pressure is described in two patients. Overproduction of aldosterone could not be prevented by sodium loading or by administration of albumin intravenously; it was associated with hypokalemic alkalosis and Pitressin-resistant impairment of urinary concentrating ability. In both subjects, increased amounts of circulating angiotensin were demonstrated; infusion of angiotensin II produced rises of blood pressure in both subjects considerably less than the rises induced by comparable doses in normal subjects. The sequence of events, (1) primary resistance to the pressor action of angiotensin, (2) compensatory overproduction of renin and thus of angiotensin, and (3) stimulation of adrenal cortex by angiotensin is consistent with all the information available about the syndrome.

404 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The isolation of the mouse Dax1 gene and its pattern of expression during development suggest a basis for adrenal insufficiency and hypogonadotropic hypog onadotropicism in males affected by adrenal hypoplasia congenita and are consistent with a role for DAX1 in gonadal sex determination.
Abstract: Duplications of a chromosome Xp21 locus DSS (dosage sensitive sex reversal) are associated with male to female sex reversal. An unusual member of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily, DAX1, maps to the DSS critical region and is responsible for X-linked adrenal hypoplasia congenita. Here we describe the isolation of the mouse Dax1 gene and its pattern of expression during development. Expression was detected in the first stages of gonadal and adrenal differentiation and in the developing hypothalamus. Moreover, Dax1 expression is down-regulated coincident with overt differentiation in the testis, but persists in the developing ovary. Comparison of the predicted protein products of the human and mouse genes show that specific domains are evolving rapidly. Our results suggest a basis for adrenal insufficiency and hypogonadotropic hypogonadism in males affected by adrenal hypoplasia congenita and are consistent with a role for DAX1 in gonadal sex determination.

394 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The discovery of ouabain as a new adrenal hormone affecting Na(+) metabolism and the development of the new ouABain antagonist PST 2238 allows for new possibilities for the therapy of hypertension and congestive heart failure.
Abstract: The search for endogenous digitalis has led to the isolation of ouabain as well as several additional cardiotonic steroids of the cardenolide and bufadienolide type from blood, adrenals, and hypothalamus. The concentration of endogenous ouabain is elevated in blood upon increased Na(+) uptake, hypoxia, and physical exercise. Changes in blood levels of ouabain upon physical exercise occur rapidly. Adrenal cortical cells in tissue culture release ouabain upon addition of angiotensin II and epinephrine, and it is thought that ouabain is released from adrenal cortex in vivo. Ouabain levels in blood are elevated in 50% of Caucasians with low-renin hypertension. Infusion over several weeks of low concentrations of ouabain, but not of digoxin, induces hypertension in rats. A digoxin-like compound, which has been isolated from human urine and adrenals, as well various other endogenous cardiac glycosides may counterbalance their actions within a regulatory framework of water and salt metabolism. Marinobufagenin, for instance, whose concentration is increased after cardiac infarction, may show natriuretic properties because it inhibits the alpha1 isoform of Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase, the main sodium pump isoform of the kidney, much better than other sodium pump isoforms. In analogy to other steroid hormones, cardiotonic steroid hormones in blood are bound to a specific cardiac glycoside binding globulin. The discovery of ouabain as a new adrenal hormone affecting Na(+) metabolism and the development of the new ouabain antagonist PST 2238 allows for new possibilities for the therapy of hypertension and congestive heart failure. This will lead in turn to a better understanding of the disease on a physiological and endocrinological level and of the action of ouabain on the cellular level as a signal that is transduced to the plasma membrane as well as to the cell nucleus.

378 citations


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Performance
Metrics
No. of papers in the topic in previous years
YearPapers
20241
202354
2022103
202171
202069
201985