Corticosteroids Are Essential for Maintaining Cardiovascular Function in Male Mice

• DOI: 10.1210/en.2015-1604
• Publication Date: 2016-05-24T17:07:28Z
• Authors: Diana Cruz-Topete; Page H. Myers; Julie F. Foley; Monte S. Willis; John A. Cidlowski
• Keywords: Corticosterone; Mineralocorticoid

Activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis results in release hormones from adrenal glands, including glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids. The physiological association between corticosteroids cardiac disease is becoming increasingly recognized; however, mechanisms underlying this are not well understood. To determine biological effects on heart, we investigated impact adrenalectomy C57BL/6 male mice. Animals were adrenalectomized (ADX) at 1 month age maintained for 3–6 months after surgery to evaluate long-term function. Morphological evaluation suggested that ADX mice showed significantly enlarged hearts compared with age-matched intact controls. These changes morphology correlated deficits left ventricular (LV) function electrocardiogram (ECG) abnormalities Correlating these functional defects, gene expression analysis revealed aberrant a large cohort genes associated hypertrophy arrhythmia. Combined corticosterone aldosterone replacement treatment prevented emergence mice, whereas LV but did block ECG alterations. Aldosterone preserve abnormalities. Together, data indicate mineralocorticoids either directly or indirectly have selective heart their signaling pathways essential maintaining normal