Adrenocorticotropic hormone is produced in the ventricle of patients with essential hypertension.
OBJECTIVE
Aldosterone is produced in the ventricle of patients with hypertension. The present study was designed to examine whether adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol are also produced from the heart in patients with essential hypertension.


METHODS
The study population consisted of 57 patients with essential hypertension and 28 control subjects. Plasma levels of ACTH, aldosterone, and cortisol were measured in the aortic root, the anterior interventricular vein and the coronary sinus during cardiac catheterization.


RESULTS
The plasma levels of ACTH were significantly higher at the anterior interventricular vein and coronary sinus than at the aortic root (12.7 +/- 1.0 versus 10.7 +/- 0.9 pmol/l, P < 0.001; and 12.3 +/- 1.0 versus 10.7 +/- 0.9 pmol/l, P < 0.001, respectively) in the hypertension group, whereas there were no significant differences in the levels among these sites in the control group. The plasma levels of aldosterone were significantly higher at the anterior interventricular vein and the coronary sinus than at the aortic root (261.7 +/- 16.4 versus 239.1 +/- 15.1 pmol/l, P < 0.001; and 258.8 +/- 17.0 versus 239.1 +/- 15.1 pmol/l, P < 0.01, respectively) in the hypertension group, whereas there were no significant differences in the levels among these sites in the control group.


CONCLUSIONS
ACTH as well as aldosterone is produced, but cortisol is not produced, from the ventricle of patients with essential hypertension.
Mizuno
Yuji
Y
Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Kumamoto Aging Research Institute, Kumamoto, Japan. acth@k2.dion.ne.jp
Yasue
Hirofumi
H
Yoshimura
Michihiro
M
Harada
Eisaku
E
Fujii
Hiromi
H
Nakamura
Shota
S
Yamamoto
Nobuyasu
N
Ogawa
Hisao
H
Nakao
Kazuwa
K
D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000450:Aldosterone / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood; D001011:Aorta / Q000378:metabolism; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D006973:Hypertension / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications
D000450:Aldosterone; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D006854:Hydrocortisone