Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 14, 2026
09:29
Isolation and Adoptive Transfer of High Salt Treated Antigen-presenting Dendritic Cells
Published on: March 5, 2019
Endogenous cardiotonic steroids and salt-sensitive hypertension
Olga V Fedorova1, Joseph I Shapiro, Alexei Y Bagrov
1National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta
|March 30, 2010
Summary
Endogenous cardiotonic steroids (CTS), like marinobufagenin, are identified human hormones that influence blood pressure and sodium excretion. These steroids interact with the Na/K-ATPase, impacting cardiovascular and renal health.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Science
- Endocrinology
- Cardiovascular Research
Background:
- Endogenous cardiotonic steroids (CTS), or digitalis-like factors, have been investigated for their role in hypertension for 50 years.
- Scientists sought a "natriuretic hormone" affecting blood pressure and renal sodium excretion, interacting with Na/K-ATPase.
- Recent discoveries identified specific human CTS, including endogenous ouabain and marinobufagenin.
Purpose of the Study:
- To summarize the identification and roles of endogenous cardiotonic steroids (CTS) in physiological regulation.
- To highlight the mechanisms by which CTS interact with the Na/K-ATPase.
- To discuss the implications of CTS in blood pressure regulation, cell growth, and fibrosis.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent scientific discoveries and literature on endogenous cardiotonic steroids.
- Identification of specific CTS molecules in human subjects.
- Delineation of signaling pathways involving CTS and the Na/K-ATPase.
Main Results:
- Identification of endogenous cardenolide (ouabain) and bufadienolide (marinobufagenin) in humans.
- Elucidation of CTS mechanisms signaling through the Na/K-ATPase.
- Evidence implicating CTS in central blood pressure regulation, cell growth, and fibrosis development.
Conclusions:
- Endogenous cardiotonic steroids are key players in regulating renal sodium handling and arterial pressure.
- CTS signaling via Na/K-ATPase affects cardiovascular and renal health, including fibrosis.
- Further research into CTS is crucial for understanding and treating hypertension and related conditions.
Related Concept Videos
01:28Antihypertensive Drugs: Potassium-Sparing Diuretics
Liddle syndrome is a genetically inherited form of hypertension characterized by the overactivity of epithelial sodium channels in the nephron, the functional unit of the kidney. This heightened activity leads to increased sodium reabsorption and excessive excretion of potassium. To counteract this, potassium-sparing diuretics such as amiloride are used. They function by blocking these sodium channels, thereby reducing the influx of sodium into the epithelial cells and minimizing the loss of...
01:17Hormonal Regulation of Blood Pressure
Endocrinal or hormonal intervention in the cardiovascular system is predominantly exerted by the catecholamines - epinephrine and norepinephrine, as well as a slew of hormones that interact with renal function to modulate blood volume.
Epinephrine and Norepinephrine
The adrenal medulla releases epinephrine and norepinephrine, catecholamines that enhance and extend the sympathetic or "fight or flight" physiological response. These hormones escalate heart rate and the force of contraction while...
Epinephrine and Norepinephrine
The adrenal medulla releases epinephrine and norepinephrine, catecholamines that enhance and extend the sympathetic or "fight or flight" physiological response. These hormones escalate heart rate and the force of contraction while...
01:33Hormonal Regulation
The renin-aldosterone system is an endocrine system which guides the renal absorption of water and electrolytes, thus managing blood pressure and osmoregulation. Activation of the system begins in the kidneys with a small cluster of cells adjacent to the afferent and efferent blood vessels of the renal corpuscle. As the nephrons are filtering blood, juxtaglomerular cells monitor blood pressure. If they detect a decrease in pressure, they release the hormone renin into the bloodstream.
01:26Heart Failure Drugs: Inhibitors of Renin-Angiotensin System
The activation of the sympathetic nervous system and the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) contributes to cardiac remodeling, and inhibiting the RAAS is a pharmacological target in heart failure management. As a result, neurohumoral modulation is a crucial treatment principle for managing heart failure. This approach involves using medications like ACE inhibitors (ACEIs), angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), β-blockers, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs), and neutral...
01:18Hypertension and Regulation of Blood Pressure
Hypertension, the most common cardiovascular disease, is diagnosed through repeated measurements of elevated blood pressure. Its risks, including damage to the kidney, heart, and brain, are directly proportional to blood pressure levels. Starting from 115/75 mm Hg, the risk of cardiovascular disease doubles with each increment of 20/10 mm Hg. The diagnosis relies on blood pressure measurements, not on patient symptoms, as hypertension is often asymptomatic until end-organ damage is imminent or...
01:26Regulation of Sodium and Potassium
The regulation of sodium and potassium ion concentrations in the human body is a complex process governed primarily by hormones such as aldosterone, antidiuretic hormone (ADH), and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP).
Sodium Regulation
Sodium ions make up approximately 90% of extracellular cations, with a normal blood plasma concentration of 136–148 mEq/L. A decrease in blood volume and pressure triggers the release of renin from granular cells in the juxtaglomerular complex (JGC), primarily in...
Sodium Regulation
Sodium ions make up approximately 90% of extracellular cations, with a normal blood plasma concentration of 136–148 mEq/L. A decrease in blood volume and pressure triggers the release of renin from granular cells in the juxtaglomerular complex (JGC), primarily in...