Aldosterone-synthase overexpression in heart: a tool to explore aldosterone’s effects
Clinical observations indicate that elevated aldosterone impairs cardiovascular function. The mechanisms, however, are not totally understood although total and cardiovascular mortality are decreased by aldosterone antagonists. Experimentally, increased plasma aldosterone induces pericoronary inflam...
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Published in | Molecular and cellular endocrinology Vol. 217; no. 1; pp. 213 - 219 |
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Main Authors | , , , , , , , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
Ireland
Elsevier Ireland Ltd
31.03.2004
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Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Clinical observations indicate that elevated aldosterone impairs cardiovascular function. The mechanisms, however, are not totally understood although total and cardiovascular mortality are decreased by aldosterone antagonists. Experimentally, increased plasma aldosterone induces pericoronary inflammation and cardiac fibrosis. Our laboratory has discovered that aldosterone is synthesized in the rat heart, and has demonstrated that this cardiac aldosterone is involved in post-infarction cardiac remodeling. In man, activated cardiac aldosterone production has been described in patients with heart failure. In transgenic mice that overexpress aldosterone-synthase in the heart, we observe a normal cardiac function but a major coronary dysfunction, more pronounced in males. These observations converge to a potential physiological and pathological relevance of this system. Beneficial effects of anti-aldosterone treatment in heart failure may thus be secondary in part to blockade of cardiac aldosterone action. |
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Bibliography: | ObjectType-Article-2 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-3 content type line 23 ObjectType-Review-1 |
ISSN: | 0303-7207 1872-8057 |
DOI: | 10.1016/j.mce.2003.10.022 |