Contribution of the activation of the ras oncogene to the evolution of aldosterone- and renin-secreting tumors.

The possible point-mutational activation of the ras oncogene, which probably contributes to the evolution of aldosterone-producing adenomas and ectopic reninoma, was evaluated. Chromosomal DNA was extracted from six aldosterone-producing adenomas and one renin-secreting liver carcinoma, using the standard method with phenol:chloroform:isoamyl alcohol. One microgram of sample DNA, forward and reverse primers, Taq I polymerase and deoxyribonucleotide triphosphates (dNTPs) were mixed and the ras gene was amplified by the polymerase chain reaction. Point mutations at ras-12 or ras-61 sites of amplified DNA were tested by dot-blotting, using H-, N- and K-ras oligonucleotide probes with mutations at codons 12 or 61. However, there were no point mutations at amino acid codons 12 or 61 of c-Hi-ras, c-Ki-ras and N-ras oncogenes in all aldosterone-producing adenomas and the one ectopic reninoma. These results indicate that point-mutational activation of ras oncogenes does not contribute, at least in this series, towards the evolution of aldosterone-producing adenomas and the reninoma.