Aldosterone and the heart.
Classically, aldosterone is a steroid hormone secreted from the adrenal cortex, which acts on kidney, colon and sweat/salivary glands to promote unidirectional sodium transport. Currently, there is excellent experimental evidence for aldosterone acting directly on the central nervous system to raise blood pressure, and on the heart to cause cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis. In addition, there is emerging evidence for aldosterone synthesis in the heart, and for as yet unexplained benefits of aldosterone antagonism in the treatment of cardiac failure.
Young
M
M
Baker Medical Research Institute, PO Box 6492, St Kilda Road Central, Melbourne, Victoria 8008, Australia.
Funder
J W
JW
D000450:Aldosterone / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D006321:Heart / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans
D000450:Aldosterone