title: Zona glomerulosa cells of the mouse adrenal cortex are intrinsic electrical             oscillators.
abstract: Aldosterone, which plays a central role in the regulation of blood pressure, is             produced by zona glomerulosa (ZG) cells of the adrenal gland. When dysregulated,             aldosterone is pathogenic and contributes to the development and progression of             cardiovascular and renal disease. Although sustained production of aldosterone requires             persistent Ca2+ entry through low-voltage activated Ca2+ channels, isolated ZG cells are             considered nonexcitable, with recorded membrane voltages that are too hyperpolarized to             permit Ca2+ entry. Here, we show that mouse ZG cells within adrenal slices spontaneously             generate membrane potential oscillations of low periodicity. This innate electrical             excitability of ZG cells provides a platform for the production of a recurrent Ca2+             signal that can be controlled by Ang II and extracellular potassium, the 2 major             regulators of aldosterone production. We conclude that native ZG cells are electrical             oscillators, and that this behavior provides what we believe to be a new molecular             explanation for the control of Ca2+ entry in these steroidogenic cells.
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Changlong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Craig G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Rusin
authors.forename: Zhiyong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Nick A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Guagliardo
authors.forename: Paula Q
authors.initials: PQ
authors.lastname: Barrett
mesh_terms: D000804:Angiotensin II / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001683:Biological Clocks; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000378:metabolism*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008564:Membrane Potentials; D051379:Mice; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism; D015384:Zona Glomerulosa / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D015220:Calcium Channels; D000804:Angiotensin II; D011188:Potassium; D002118:Calcium