Endocrine Abstracts

The distal nephron is the principal site for salt conservation in the body. Through its action on basolateral and apical membrane transporters, aldosterone regulates ion fluxes across the cells of the distal nephron. Aldosterone elicits physiological responses by modulating the expression of the transporter subunits; for example in the case of the epithelial Na+ channel (ENaC) and Na+/K+-ATPase, and also through the expression of the regulatory...

Cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2α) catalyzes the hydrolysis of membrane glycerophospholipids to release arachidonic acid, which is converted to bio-active eicosanoid lipid mediators, including prostaglandins (like PGE2) produced through cyclo-oxygenases (COX). The eicosanoid signalling contributes to cell proliferation in breast cancer, as demonstrated by numerous studies outlining a crucial role of COX-2 and PGE2 in breast carcinoma progression. The specific ...

Aldosterone stimulates the rapid phosphorylation and activation of PKD1 in a murine renal cortical collecting duct cell line (M1-CCD), through the transactivation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). PKD1 belongs to a family of serine/threonine kinases known to be important modulators of subcellular trafficking. The epithelial sodium channel ENaC is a major effector of aldosterone action in the kidney and plays a crucial role in the maintenance of whole body sodium ...