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Updated: Apr 30, 2026

Primary Culture of Rat Adrenocortical Cells and Assays of Steroidogenic Functions
Published on: March 12, 2019
Effect of ions of potassium and lithium on NO synthase expression in the human adrenal cortex
E I Kovzun1, O S Lukashenya, V M Pushkarev
1V. P. Komissarenko Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kiev, Ukraine, kovzun@newmail.ru.
Abstract:
The expression of endothelial and inducible NO synthase in the human adrenal glands was studied under a change in the concentration of K(+), which plays a regulatory role in aldosterone secretion. K(+) ions stimulated the expression of both isoforms of NO synthase in the human adrenal cortex. A stimulatory effect of K(+) on NO synthase is probably related to activation of the calmodulin system and potassium-induced translocation of protein kinase C. Lithium produced n inhibitory effect on both isoforms of NO synthase, which suggests that protein kinase C serves a major regulator of expression in the human adrenal glands.
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