title: Endothelin-1 stimulates mitotic activity in the zona glomerulosa of the rat adrenal cortex.
abstract: Subcutaneous infusion with endothelin-1 (ET-1; 30 pM min-1) for 24 h induced a 9-fold increase in the mitotic index (% of metaphase-arrested cells) of rat adrenal zona glomerulosa (ZG). Infusions with adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) angiotensin-II (ANG-II) or arginine vasopressin (AVP) (30 pM min-1/24 h) raised the ZG mitotic index 13-fold, 9-fold and 10-fold, respectively. Combined infusion with ET-1 and ACTH increased the ZG mitotic index 20-fold, while the effects of ET-1 and ANG-II or AVP were not additive. These findings suggest that ET-1 exerts a strong proliferogenic effect on the rat ZG, by a mechanism probably similar to that underlying the adrenoglomerulotrophic actions of ANG-II and AVP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, University of Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mazzocchi
authors.forename: L K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Malendowicz
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Meneghelli
authors.forename: G G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Nussdorfer
mesh_terms: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology; D000804:Angiotensin II / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001127:Arginine Vasopressin / Q000494:pharmacology; D004347:Drug Interactions; D016232:Endothelins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D008297:Male; D008934:Mitogens / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008940:Mitotic Index / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D015384:Zona Glomerulosa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D016232:Endothelins; D008934:Mitogens; D000804:Angiotensin II; D001127:Arginine Vasopressin; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone