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Publications

Journal Article Ahead of print

PubMed: 42431251 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2026.112865

Cytosolic Calcium Oscillations in Human Adrenocortical Cells Causing Primary Aldosteronism.

Mol Cell Endocrinol

Authors: Hala Ajjour, Giorgia Pallafacchina, Brasilina Caroccia, Giulio Ceolotto, Livia Lenzini, Sofia Zanin, Teresa Maria Seccia, Gian Paolo Rossi

Affiliations

  • Specialized Center of Excellence for Hypertension of the European Society of Hypertension and Emergency Medicine Unit, Department of Medicine-DIMED, University of Padua, Italy.
  • Neuroscience Institute - Italian National Research Council (CNR), Department of Biomedical Sciences - University of Padova.
  • Specialized Center of Excellence for Hypertension of the European Society of Hypertension and Emergency Medicine Unit, Department of Medicine-DIMED, University of Padua, Italy; Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
  • Specialized Center of Excellence for Hypertension of the European Society of Hypertension and Emergency Medicine Unit, Department of Medicine-DIMED, University of Padua, Italy; Laboratory for Genetics of Mitochondrial Disorders, UMR 1163, Institute Imagine, Université de Paris, Paris, France.

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Intracellular calcium [Ca 2+] i is pivotal in driving aldosterone secretion. However, knowledge of the [Ca 2+] i dynamics underlying aldosterone excess in primary aldosteronism (PA), the most common form of endocrine hypertension, is lacking due to the difficulty of obtaining aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA) cells ex vivo.

METHODS

We used the Ca 2+-sensitive Fura-2 dye and live confocal microscopy to investigate variations in [Ca 2+] i under basal conditions and after angiotensin II (Ang II) stimulation in primary aldosterone-producing CD56+ cells, immunomagnetically isolated ex vivo from surgically treated PA patients.

RESULTS

We found that the resting [Ca 2+] i levels were consistently and markedly lower in APA cells (n = 14, 0.53; IQR: 0.33 - 0.79) compared with paired cells from the normal adjacent adrenal cortex (AAC) (n = 14, 0.80; IQR: 0.65 - 0.90, p = 0.021). While both cell types exhibited similar spontaneous oscillations, Ang II [1 nM] stimulation increased the number of cells exhibiting [Ca 2+] i oscillations (p = 0.004) and induced a higher frequency of oscillations (p=0.002) in APA than in AAC.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrates prominent differences between APA and AAC cells in [Ca 2+] i dynamics, with more marked oscillatory responses upon Ang II stimulation. These differences may underpin the increased aldosterone production, a hallmark of human PA.

MeSH

Cells, Aldosterone, Hyperaldosteronism, Hormones, Calcium