[Cardiac aldosterone].
In heart failure, the heart carries out compensation of its functional deterioration using various hormonal actions. Many hormones are recently found to be synthesized and secreted from the failing or hypertensive heart. We have reported that the steroid synthesis is present in the heart; aldosterone but not dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is secreted from the failing heart and contrarily DHEA but not aldosterone is secreted from the normal heart. Furthermore, we reported that adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) is also secreted from the failing or hypertensive heart, suggesting that the hormones composing the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal(HPA) axis as well as the RAA system would be present in the heart.
Yoshimura
Michihiro
M
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Kumamoto University School of Medicine.