A comparative study of the effect of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) on the secretory activity of rat adrenal cortex and angiotensin-II-responsive adrenocortical autotransplants.

Rat adrenocortical autotransplants regenerated from capsular-tissue fragments implanted in the musculus gracilis displayed an in-vitro basal gluco- and mineralocorticoid secretion qualitatively similar to that of adrenal quarters from control rats. Moreover, like adrenal quarters, they responded to angiotensin-II (Ang-II, 10(-8) M) by raising their yield of 18-hydroxylated steroids (18-hydroxy-11-deoxycorticosterone, 18-hydroxycorticosterone and aldosterone). ANP (10(-8) M), one of the main negative modulators of the zona-glomerulosa (ZG) mineralocorticoid secretion, totally blocked the ANG-II stimulating effect on adrenal quarters, but not that on adrenocortical autotransplants. Autoradiography showed that, in contrast with ZG cells of control rats, ZG-like cells of transplants did not significantly bind 125I-ANP. The hypothesis is discussed that ZG-like cells of regenerated adrenocortical nodules lack specific receptors for ANP.