Protein Synthesis and Aldosterone Production

Abstract

Aldosterone production was decreased as much as 88% when a variety of inhibitors of protein synthesis were incubated with rat adrenal quarters. Puromycin and cycloheximide were found to cause the most marked inhibition of aldosterone production. Corticosterone production was also inhibited although only to 24% of control values. The data were consistent with the hypothesis that aldosterone production was blocked by the inhibition of adrenal protein synthesis. This inhibitory effect could be demonstrated after 30 min. of incubation. Conversion experiments suggested that the puromycin-induced block occurred in the pathway between corticosterone and aldosterone. It was possible to overcome this block and stimulate aldosterone production by the addition of glucose-6-P and NADP+ [nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate]. An interesting additional finding was that corticosterone and cortisol inhibited adrenal protein synthesis when added to the incubation media.