Human endothelium: target for aldosterone.
Aldosterone has long been known to control water and electrolyte balance by acting on mineralocorticoid receptors in kidney. However, recent studies demonstrated the presence of these receptors in nonclassical locations, including the cardiovascular system. We tested the hypothesis whether endothelial cells respond to aldosterone with changes in cell volume, a measure for ion-mediated water movement across the cell membrane. By means of atomic force microscopy in fluid, we measured volume of adherent human umbilical venous endothelial cells exposed for 72 hours to 10 nmol/L aldosterone. Over this period of time, cells swell by approximately 18%. Aldosterone-induced swelling is prevented by 100 nmol/L of the mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist spironolactone, added to the primary endothelial cell culture. Aldosterone-treated cells dramatically shrink when 1 micromol/L of the diuretic amiloride is applied. Cells deprived of aldosterone do not respond to amiloride. Our conclusions are: (1) aldosterone leads to sustained cell swelling inhibited by administration of spironolactone or the sodium channel blocker amiloride; (2) cells respond to amiloride after aldosterone exposure; (3) renal diuretics act on endothelial cells; and (4) both amiloride and spironolactone could be useful for medical applications to prevent aldosterone-mediated endothelial dysfunction.
Institute of Physiology II, Nanolab, University Münster, Germany. oberlei@uni-muenster.de
Hans
H
Oberleithner
Thomas
T
Ludwig
Christoph
C
Riethmüller
Uta
U
Hillebrand
Lars
L
Albermann
Claudia
C
Schäfer
Victor
V
Shahin
Hermann
H
Schillers
D000450:Aldosterone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000584:Amiloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D001692:Biological Transport / Q000187:drug effects; D001834:Body Water / Q000378:metabolism; D048429:Cell Size / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004232:Diuretics / Q000494:pharmacology; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D000451:Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D018161:Receptors, Mineralocorticoid / Q000187:drug effects*; D012964:Sodium / Q000378:metabolism; D015222:Sodium Channels / Q000187:drug effects; D017923:Sodium-Hydrogen Exchangers / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D013148:Spironolactone / Q000494:pharmacology; D014471:Umbilical Veins
D004232:Diuretics; D000451:Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists; D018161:Receptors, Mineralocorticoid; D015222:Sodium Channels; D017923:Sodium-Hydrogen Exchangers; D013148:Spironolactone; D000450:Aldosterone; D000584:Amiloride; D012964:Sodium