title: Trophic effects of potassium loading on the rat zona glomerulosa: permissive role of ACTH and angiotensin II.
abstract: The trophic effects of chronic potassium loading on the rat zona glomerulosa were investigated by morphometric and radioimmunological methods. Potassium loading exerted a potent adrenoglomerulotrophic effect in saline treated control rats, but it was not able to reverse the captopril- and dexamethasone-induced atrophy of the zona glomerulosa. However, if the captopril/dexamethasone administered rats were given maintenance doses of angiotensin II and ACTH, potassium loading was found to exert a strong trophic action. The hypothesis is advanced that potassium loading requires the integrity of both the renin-angiotensin system and the hypothalamo-hypophyseal axis to exert its powerful direct stimulating effect on the growth and steroidogenic capacity of the rat zona glomerulosa.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mazzocchi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rebuffat
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Robba
authors.forename: L K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Malendowicz
authors.forename: G G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Nussdorfer
mesh_terms: D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000450:Aldosterone / Q000097:blood; D000804:Angiotensin II / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001284:Atrophy; D002216:Captopril / Q000494:pharmacology; D002452:Cell Count; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D011189:Potassium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012084:Renin-Angiotensin System / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000804:Angiotensin II; D000450:Aldosterone; D011189:Potassium Chloride; D003907:Dexamethasone; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D002216:Captopril; D003345:Corticosterone