ANG II blocks potassium currents in zona glomerulosa cells from rat, bovine, and human adrenals

Angiotensin II (ANG II) is a principal secretagogue of adrenal zona glomerulosa (ZG) cells. The transduction process includes a depolarization of the plasma membrane and the activation of calcium influx. The ANG II-induced depolarization is associated with an increase in total membrane resistance. To directly address the mechanism underlying these observations, we examined the effect of ANG II on K+ currents of rat, bovine, and human ZG cells, using whole cell patch clamp. Although some differences were seen in the characteristics of K+ currents between species, ANG II consistently blocked outward currents in ZG cells [rat: 47.1 +/- 4.5% (SE), n = 17; bovine: 38.6 +/- 3.3%, n = 21; and human: 13-63%, n = 3]. With the use of the cell-attached mode, single-channel recordings in bovine ZG cells demonstrated K+ channels that were reversibly blocked when ANG II was added to the bath solution. This indicates that the block of K+ channels by ANG II involves a diffusible intracellular messenger rather than a direct receptor-channel interaction. The decreased conductance of K+ can account for the ANG II-induced membrane depolarization.