Osmolarity controls oscillatory calcium signaling to reduce autonomous aldosterone production in zona glomerulosa cells.
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Abstract | Primary hyperaldosteronism (PA) is characterized by autonomous aldosterone (Aldo) production, resulting in blood volume/electrolyte imbalance and hypertension. Intracellular calcium (Ca2+) is the principal signal driving Aldo synthesis in adrenal zona glomerulosa (zG) cells, and mutations in ion transport genes that regulate Ca2+ are frequently mediators of PA. When organized in intact rosette structures, zG cells are voltage oscillators; stimulation by Angiotensin II (AngII) or loss of TWIK-Related Acid-Sensitive potassium (TASK) channel function evokes stereotypic Ca²⁺ oscillations with bursting activity proportional to increased steroidogenesis. Here, we delineate the role of the osmolar-volume regulatory axis in the control of Ca2+ and Aldo production in adrenal slices. Strikingly, in both pharmacological and genetic models of PA, extracellular osmolarity (OSMEC) potently and reversibly regulated Aldo secretion and Ca²⁺ signaling. Elevated OSMEC progressively suppressed Aldo production from Angll-stimulated adrenal slices and strongly inhibited autonomous production in both zG-specific TASK knockout slices and wild-type slices incubated with TASK inhibitors. To determine if the effects of OSMEC on Ca²⁺ dynamics were causative, we imaged adrenal slices expressing zG-specific GCaMP6f incubated in variable osmotic media with TASK Inhibitors or AngII. Consistent with Aldo suppression, increasing osmolarity proportionally reduced the number of active cells and the Ca²⁺ activity of bursting cells evoked by TASK loss-of-function or AngII stimulation. Collectively, our findings identify OSMEC as a broad regulator of zG excitability and adrenal steroidogenesis, and suggest that targeting volume-regulatory mechanisms such as the Na+-K+-2Cl- cotransporter may offer a novel strategy to suppress Aldo autonomy in PA. |
Year of Publication | 2025
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Journal | Endocrinology
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Date Published | 10/2025
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ISSN | 1945-7170
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DOI | 10.1210/endocr/bqaf147
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PubMed ID | 41091658
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