Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Vol 56, 99-103, Copyright © 1983 by Endocrine Society

ARTICLES

The regulation of urinary free 19-nor-deoxycorticosterone and its relation to systemic arterial blood pressure in normotensive and hypertensive subjects

GT Griffing, SL Dale, MM Holbrook and JC Melby

19-Nor-deoxycorticosterone (19-nor-DOC) is a naturally occurring, potent mineralocorticoid present in hypertensive animal models as well as man. To investigate 19-nor-DOC's regulation and possible pathogenesis in hypertension, urinary free (UF) 19-nor-DOC was measured in 14 hypertensives, correlated with other corticosteroids and systemic arterial blood pressure (BP), and compared to basal and ACTH-stimulated values in 8 normotensive subjects. Seven of the 14 hypertensives had low-renin hypertension, 2 had primary aldosteronism, 1 had an adrenal carcinoma, and another had acromegaly. These studies determined that: 1) although the mean UF 19-nor-DOC was not increased in hypertensives (588 +/- 180 vs. 428 +/- 122 ng/day), 2 low-renin hypertensives had quite elevated levels (2186 and 2018); 2) the UF 19-nor-DOC in hypertensives was correlated with BP but not with PRA, aldosterone secretion, plasma potassium, basal plasma cortisol, or 17- hydroxycorticosteroids; 3) likewise, in normotensives, UF 19-nor-DOC did not correlate with basal plasma cortisol, cortisol secretion, or 17- hydroxycorticosteroids excretion but did correlate after ACTH stimulation. Therefore, although 19-nor-DOC is activated by ACTH administration, it is not correlated with basal parameters of cortisol production, suggesting that factors other than ACTH regulate basal 19- nor-DOC secretion. Furthermore 19-nor-DOC is elevated in some hypertensive patients, and it is directly related to the elevation of mean systemic BP. This suggests that, although 19-nor-DOC could contribute to hypertensive disease in some individuals, it does not appear to be due to excess ACTH.

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