Vascular-adrenal niche--endothelial cell-mediated sensitization of human adrenocortical cells to angiotensin II.

ABSTRACT

Alterations in both vasculature and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system are a consistent finding in the metabolic syndrome. Adrenal tissue is highly vascularized and encounters blood flow, exceeding by far the volume expected for its size. Endothelial cells in the adrenal vasculature are therefore a major cellular component of adrenocortical tissue. The aim of the study was to analyze the cellular interaction between endothelial and steroid producing cells, focusing on endothelial cell-factor-mediated activation of aldosterone synthesis. The interaction between human endothelial (HUVECs) cell-conditioned medium and human adrenocortical (NCI-H295R) cells IN VITRO induced a significant surge in aldosterone secretion. The endothelial cell-conditioned medium together with angiotensin II and forskolin also potentiated aldosterone release by 1.5-fold and 2.6-fold, respectively, while preincubation of NCI-H295R cells for 24 h with endothelial cell-conditioned medium enhanced and sensitized the response of NCI-H295R to subsequent angiotensin II and forskolin stimuli by 2.5-fold and 2.2-fold, respectively. The increase in aldosterone release after preincubation with endothelial cell-conditioned medium was sensitive to cycloheximide and KN-93. Cellular conditioning with endothelial-cell factors exerts a hitherto unknown paracrine regulation of aldosterone production in human adrenocortical cells. This interaction may contribute to altered basal aldosterone release and have a role in patients with hypertension.