Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2012 Dec;14(6):573-80.
doi: 10.1007/s11906-012-0297-0.

The ubiquitous mineralocorticoid receptor: clinical implications

Affiliations
Review

The ubiquitous mineralocorticoid receptor: clinical implications

Urseline A Hawkins et al. Curr Hypertens Rep. 2012 Dec.

Abstract

Mineralocorticoid receptors (MR) exist in many tissues, in which they mediate diverse functions crucial to normal physiology, including tissue repair and electrolyte and fluid homeostasis. However, inappropriate activation of MR within these tissues, and especially in the brain, causes hypertension and pathological vascular, cardiac, and renal remodeling. MR binds aldosterone, cortisol and corticosterone with equal affinity. In aldosterone-target cells, co-expression with the 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 2 (HSD2) allows aldosterone specifically to activate MR. Aldosterone levels are excessive in primary aldosteronism, but in conditions with increased oxidative stress, like CHF, obesity and diabetes, MR may also be inappropriately activated by glucocorticoids. Unlike thiazide diuretics, MR antagonists are diuretics that do not cause insulin resistance. Addition of MR antagonists to standard treatment for hypertension and cardiac or renal disease decreases end-organ pathology and sympathetic nerve activation (SNA), and increases quality of life indices.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure No potential conflicts of interest relevant to this article were reported.

Similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Deming QB, Luetscher JA., Jr Increased sodium-retaining corticoid excretion in edema, with some observations on the effects of cortisone in nephrosis. J Clin Invest. 1950;29:808. - PubMed
    1. Simpson SA, Tait JF, Wettstein A, et al. Konstitution des aldosterons, des neuen mineralocorticoids. Experientia. 1953;10:132–133. - PubMed
    1. Conn JW. Primary aldosteronism, a new clinical syndrome. J Lab Clin Med. 1955;45:3–7. - PubMed
    1. Funder JW. Aldosterone and mineralocorticoid receptors: a personal reflection. Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2012;350:146–150. - PubMed
    1. Funder JW, Feldman D, Edelman I. Specific Aldosterone binding in rat kidney and parotid. J Steroid Biochem. 1972;3:209–218. - PubMed

MeSH terms