Nontraditional aspects of aldosterone physiology

Aldosterone is the most important circulating mineralocorticoid. It is secr eted by the zona glomerulosa of the adrenal gland and plays a major role in sodium and potassium metabolism by binding to epithelial mineralocorticoid receptors (MR) in the renal collecting duct, promoting sodium resorption a nd potassium excretion. The action of aldosterone on its classic target epi thelia has been extensively studied, and many of the signaling events that mediate its effects have been described. Recently, there has been increased interest in aldosterone actions on the cardiovascular system, which are me diated through nonclassical actions. These include local tissue production, nongenomic actions, and effects on nonepithelial targets. In this review a rticle, we focus on the effects of aldosterone in nonepithelial tissues tha t are mediated through MR, especially cardiovascular effects.