Publisher's Synopsis
The relationship between the functions of the adrenal glands and hypertension has long been an enigma. That they are connected is without a doubt - but how? The first approach, during the 1950s and 1960s, was to search for a new "hypertensinogenic" steroid. Though some candidates were found, none proved convincing. Then there was the possibility of alternative stimulants for the known mineralocorticoids. Again, there are several contenders, but no single agent can account for all the effects. To date, the most recent has been the concept that changes in end organ responsiveness, particularly in the steroid dehydrogenase enzymes which may "protect" the mineralocortoid receptor from excessive stimulation by inappropriate glucocorticoids, is the cause of significant disease. Or should we admit, perhaps, that we simply do not yet know enough about the basic mechanisms of steroid and catecholamine secretion from the adrenal, and action at target sites, to be able to fully comprehend all the possible situations?;This text addresses such questions by providing a state-of-the-art insight into links between the adrenal gland and hypertension.
