ANGIOTENSIN-II REGULATES BOTH ADRENOCORTICAL AND ADRENOMEDULLARY FUNCTION IN ISOLATED-PERFUSED PIG ADRENALS

The effect of angiotensin II (ANG II) on all four zones of the adrenal gland was studied in preparations of isolated perfused porcine adrena ls. The experimental design offered the possibility to analyze directl y the actions of ANG II while preserving the structure of the gland. A NG II stimulated aldosterone, cortisol, and androstenedione release in a dose-dependent manner. At a final ANG II concentration of 10(-8) M aldosterone increased from 0.7 +/- 0.05 to 3.4 +/- 0.9 ng/ml, cortisol from 50 +/- 5 to 430 +/- 60 mu g/l, and androstenedione from 1.4 +/- 0.2 to 4.4 +/- 0.8 ng/ml. In addition, ANG II provoked a release of ad renaline from 4.1 +/- 0.6 to 27.5 +/- 0.5 mu g/ml and of noradrenaline from 5.5 +/- 1.1 to 36.0 +/- 8.7 mu g/ml. Our results show that secre tion of both adrenocortical steroids and adrenomedullary catecholamine s can be evoked by ANG II. ANG LI seems to influence not only the func tion of the zona glomerulosa but the function of the entire adrenal gl and.