AUTHOR=Seidel Eric , Scholl Ute I. TITLE=Intracellular Molecular Differences in Aldosterone- Compared to Cortisol-Secreting Adrenal Cortical Adenomas JOURNAL=Frontiers in Endocrinology VOLUME=7 YEAR=2016 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/10.3389/fendo.2016.00075 DOI=10.3389/fendo.2016.00075 ISSN=1664-2392 ABSTRACT=
The adrenal cortex is a major site of steroid hormone production. Two hormones are of particular importance: aldosterone, which is produced in the zona glomerulosa in response to volume depletion and hyperkalemia, and cortisol, which is produced in the zona fasciculata in response to stress. In both cases, acute stimulation leads to increased hormone production, and chronic stimulation causes hyperplasia of the respective zone. Aldosterone- and cortisol-producing adenomas (APAs and CPAs) are benign tumors of the adrenal cortex that cause excess hormone production, leading to primary aldosteronism and Cushing’s syndrome, respectively. About 40% of the APAs carry somatic heterozygous gain-of-function mutations in the K+ channel