title: Differential expression of type 1 angiotensin II receptor mRNA and aldosterone responsiveness to angiotensin in aldosterone-producing adenoma.
abstract: Aldosterone secretion in most patients with aldosterone-producing adenomas (APAs) is typically unresponsive to angiotensin II stimulation (AII-unresponsive, AII-U). In some patients, however, plasma aldosterone increases in response to AII stimulation (AII-responsive, AII-R). This differential aldosterone responsiveness could be related to the levels of type 1 AII receptors (AT1R) in the APA. To test this hypothesis, plasma aldosterone levels in response to upright posture and/or sequential high- and low-salt diets were measured by radioimmunoassay in nine patients with APAs. AT1R mRNA levels in the adenomas were quantified by competitive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and correlated to the cellular composition of the adenoma. Two patients were categorised as AII-R by an increase of plasma aldosterone greater than 50% over the baseline. The remaining seven patients who had blunted plasma aldosterone responses were classified as AII-U. Histologically, the AII-R APAs consisted predominantly of zona glomerulosa (ZG)-like cells (> 90%), while the AII-U APAs contained zona fasciculata (ZF)-like cells ranging from 28 to 72%. There was an inverse relationship between the levels of AT1R mRNA in the APA and the percentage of ZF-like cells in the adenoma (n = 9, r = 0.73, P < 0.05). In situ hybridisation findings demonstrated that AT1R mRNA was more uniform and intensive in ZG-like cells than in ZF-like cells. These results suggest that heterogenous aldosterone responsiveness to angiotensin in APAs is histologically dependent and related to the differential expression of AT1R mRNA in the adenoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, ROC.
authors.forename: Y M
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: K D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Hu-Tsai
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Hsieh
mesh_terms: D000236:Adenoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D000450:Aldosterone / Q000378:metabolism*; D000804:Angiotensin II / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D017588:Hyperandrogenism / Q000378:metabolism; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D011945:Receptors, Angiotensin / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011945:Receptors, Angiotensin; D000804:Angiotensin II; D000450:Aldosterone