Aldosterone production by isolated glomerulosa cells: modulation of sensitivity to angiotensin II and ACTH by extracellular potassium concentration.

The influence of extracellular potassium concentration on adrenal sensitivity to angiotensin II and ACTH was studied in isolated canine adrenal glomerulosa cells. When potassium was absent from the incubation medium, the aldosterone response to angiotensin II or ACTH was completely abolished. At physiologic angiotensin II concentrations (2.5 x 10(-11) M), aldosterone formation increased 4-fold when potassium concentration was increased from 2.5 to 5.0 mM, and rose 6-fold as potassium was increased from 2.5 to 7.5 mM. In the absence of angiotensin II, the same changes in potassium concentration increased aldosterone production only to 2-fold and 3.5-fold, respectively. The effect of potassium concentration upon the aldosterone response to ACTH was similar but less marked. The concentration and binding affinity of angiotensin II receptor sites in glomerulosa cells were not changed by increasing potassium concentrations from 0 to 7.5 mM. These observations demonstrate that the aldosterone response to the glomerulosa cell to angiotensin II is potassium-dependent within the physiological range for each of these stimuli. Such an interaction suggests that the in vivo effect of potassium upon aldosterone secretion includes a significant modulating action upon adrenal sensitivity to angiotensin II, as well as a direct action of potassium upon the adrenal glomerulosa cell.