Aldosterone Suppresses Endothelial Mitochondria through Mineralocorticoid Receptor/Mitochondrial Reactive Oxygen Species Pathway
Journal
Biomedicines
Journal Volume
10
Journal Issue
5
Pages
1119
Date Issued
2022-05-12
Author(s)
Peng, Shih-Yuan
Wu, Xue-Ming
Huang, Hsin-Hsiu
Chang, Yi-Yao
Chou, Chia-Hung
Abstract
Excessive aldosterone secretion causes endothelial dysfunction, vascular inflammation, and vascular fibrosis in patients with primary aldosteronism (PA). Endothelial function is closely related to endothelial mitochondria. However, the effects of elevated aldosterone levels on endothelial mitochondria remain unclear. In this study, we used primary cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) to investigate the effects of aldosterone on endothelial mitochondria. Mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) small interfering (si)RNA or glucocorticoid receptor (GR) siRNA were used to confirm the pathway by which aldosterone exerts its effects on the mitochondria of HUVECs. The results showed that excess aldosterone suppressed mitochondrial DNA copy numbers, anti-mitochondrial protein, and SOD2 protein expression in a dose- and time-dependent manner. These effects were attenuated by treatment with MR siRNA, but not with GR siRNA. Furthermore, it was attenuated by treatment with a mitochondria-targeted antioxidant (Mito-TEMPO, associated with mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) production), but not N-acetyl-L-cysteine (associated with cytosolic ROS production), which suggests that the process was through the mitochondrial ROS pathway, but not the cytosolic ROS pathway. In conclusion, aldosterone excess suppressed endothelial mitochondria through the MR/mitochondrial ROS pathway.
Subjects
aldosterone; endothelial cell mitochondria; mitochondrial oxidative stress; primary aldosteronism
Publisher
MDPI
Type
journal article