Aldosterone is a hormone which plays an important part in atherosclerosis and hypertension. It is unknown what the direct effects of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-gamma) are on aldosterone, despite PPAR-gamma and its agonists affecting related factors. Using adrenocortical H295R cells, Uruno and colleagues found that overexpression of PPAR-gamma resulted in suppression of aldosterone secretion and reduced expression of CYP11B2, the aldosterone synthase gene. This was mediated by the agonists pioglitazone, Rosi and GW1929, with the antagonist GW9662 reversing the transrepression by pioglitazone. Calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase 1 stimulates CYP11B2 transcriptional activity and is suppressed by PPAR-gamma, resulting in decreased CYP11B2 expression. These results explain why PPAR-gamma may be effective in the treatment of hypertension. Uruno et al. (2011) Journal of Molecular Endocrinology 46 37-49.

Read the full article at DOI: 10.1677/JME-10-0088.