A 'hypertensinogenic' class of steroid hormone activity in man?

1. Studies in sheep have led to the concept of a 'hypertensinogenic' (HT) steroid hormone activity, whereby the blood pressure (BP) raising effects of adrenocortical steroids can be separated from their in vivo glucocorticoid (GC) or mineralocorticoid (MC) activities. 2. The three main lines of evidence are as follows: (i) BP raising effects of ACTH cannot be reproduced by appropriate rates of infusion of steroids with GC and MC activities; (ii) certain steroids e.g. 9 alpha-fluorocortisol can increase BP at rates of infusion below threshold for in vivo GC or MC actions and for many steroids there is no correlation between GC, MC and HT effects; (iii) demonstration of differential antagonism of HT, MC and GC effects. 3. Studies in man show that the BP effects of ACTH are due to cortisol (F) at levels which have both MC and GC activity. However, BP effects of ACTH cannot be blocked by MC and GC antagonists. 4. Although complete separation of in vivo GC, MC and HT activities has not been possible in man, our own studies show a degree of dissociation. Taken together, these data suggest that steroids may raise BP by a HT mechanism distinct from classical in vivo MC or GC activities in man as well as sheep.