Endocrine Abstracts

Potassium channels control the membrane voltage of aldosterone-producing zona glomerulosa cells in the adrenal glands. They are necessary for the unique K+ sensitivity of these cells and targets of angiotensin II signaling. The 2-P-domain K+ channels TASK1 and TASK3 are among those K+ channels that exhibit strongest expression levels in the adrenal gland. Knockout mice for TASK1 and TASK3 have highlighted the functional relevance of these channels: In young mice before puberty...

Primary aldosteronism (PA) is the most common form of secondary hypertension with an estimated prevalence between 6 and 12% of hypertensives and as high as 20% in patients with resistant hypertension. Among subtypes of PA, the two principal causes are Aldosterone Producing Adenoma (APA) and Bilateral Adrenal Hyperplasia (BAH, also known as idiopathic hyperaldosteronism). Recent evidence has suggested that recurrent somatic mutations of the KCNJ5 gene coding for the potassium c...

Primary aldosteronism has been recognized as a common cause of secondary hypertension, accounting for approximately 10% of patients in hypertension clinics and 5% in primary care. Long-standing aldosteronism is associated with refractory hypertension, severe hypokalemia, and consecutive cardiovascular consequences: atrial fibrillation, myocardial infarction, heart failure, stroke, and renal failure. Less well-recognized features of primary aldosteronism is impaired quality of ...

Aldosterone has assumed increasing importance as a major cardiovascular risk factor. This is illustrated by the positive correlation between plasma aldosterone levels and blood pressure in a number of large population surveys, and the finding that approximately 10% of patients with high blood pressure have inappropriate aldosterone levels in relation to renin, consistent with primary aldosteronism. Evidence also supports the notion that aldosterone exerts particularly deleteri...