Journal of the American Society of Hypertension
Volume 2, Issue 4 , Pages 286-293, July 2008

Correlation of glycyrrhetinic acid–like factors (kidney 11β-HSD2-GALFs) with urinary free cortisol and plasma renin activity in essential hypertension

  • David J. Morris, DPhil

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The Miriam Hospital, Brown University Medical School, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author: David J. Morris, DPhil, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The Miriam Hospital, Brown University Medical School, 164 Summit Avenue, Providence, Rhode Island 02906. Tel: 401-793-4231; fax: 401-274-5154.
    • ,
  • Syed A. Latif, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The Miriam Hospital, Brown University Medical School, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
    • ,
  • Ying H. Lo, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The Miriam Hospital, Brown University Medical School, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
    • ,
  • Kofi Abrampah, DPharm

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The Miriam Hospital, Brown University Medical School, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
    • ,
  • Andrew S. Brem, MD

      Affiliations

    • Rhode Island Hospital, Brown University Medical School, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
    • ,
  • W. Reid Lichtfield, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
    • ,
  • Gordon H. Williams, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Received 22 October 2007; accepted 2 January 2008. published online 03 June 2008.

Abstract 

Previously we reported that urinary levels of glycyrrhetinic acid–like factors (11β-HSD2-GALFs) were increased in a subset of patients with essential hypertension when maintained on a low-Na+ diet. The present studies were undertaken to correlate changes in urinary GALF levels with urinary free cortisol (UFC) and plasma renin activity (PRA). The amounts of GALFs markedly increased from 7.38 ± 0.80 to 14.58 ± 1.94 (P < .0003) in the high/normal renin and from 5.60 ± 0.77 to 8.39 ± 1.08 (P < .045) in the low renin patients on a low-Na+ diet compared with high-Na+ diet with no effect in the normotensive controls (P < .668). The elevated GALF levels in high/normal renin hypertensives maintained on the low-Na+ diet strongly correlated with the increased UFC levels and also with PRA; no such correlations were observed with either the normotensive controls or low renin hypertensives. In high/normal renin hypertensives, the elevated 11β-HSD2-GALFs may have two major functions: increased Na+ retention by the kidney by allowing cortisol to access the renal mineralocorticoid receptor and increased vascular reactivity by allowing cortisol to access the vascular mineralocorticoid receptor.

Keywords: Sodium balance, high/normal renin, carbenoxolone sodium, blood pressure

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 This study was supported by National Institutes of Health (NIH) Grant HL-52972 and the Lifespan Research Foundation (Dr. Morris) and NIH Grants HL47651, HL59424, DK63214, and a Specialized Center of Research in Molecular Genetics of Hypertension (P50HL055000) from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. GCRC were supported by Grant M01RR02635 from the National Center for Research Resources, NIH. Dr. Litchfield was in part supported by a NIH Training Grant (T32HL007609).

PII: S1933-1711(08)00003-X

doi:10.1016/j.jash.2008.01.001

Journal of the American Society of Hypertension
Volume 2, Issue 4 , Pages 286-293, July 2008

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