Diurnal variations of plasma aldosterone in supine man: relationship to plasma renin activity and plasma cortisol.

In order to investigate the role of renin secretion and of ACTH on the circadian rhythm of plasma aldosterone (PA), plasma renin activity (PRA), plasma cortisol (PC) and PA were determined at short-time intervals in 10 normal supine men. Six subjects were studied under a normal sodium intake and 4 under sodium restriction. In 4 subjects the secretion of ACTH was suppressed by dexamethasone. Under normal sodium intake changes in PA seemed to be more in parallel with changes in PC than by those in PRA as indicated by a higher significant correlation between PA and PC than between PA and PRA in 3 of the 4 subjects. In 1 subject no correlation was observed between PA and PC despite visual synchronism between the plasma concentrations of both hormones. Under dexamethasone medication fluctuations in PA were followed by those in PRA while PC was less than 2 mug/100 ml. In the sodium restricted state, changes in PA were closely paralleled and significantly correlated to PRA while no correlation was seen between PA and PC. Under dexamethasone medication the significant correlation between PA and PRA persisted. Our results indicate that in normal supine man the influence of ACTH and renin on PA may vary with different sodium intakes. Under normal sodium intake ACTH seems to be the dominant factor controlling PA, whereas under sodium restriction changes in PA are mediated through the renin angiotensin system. When the secretion of ACTH is suppressed by dexamethasone, renin controls PA both under normal and low sodium intake.