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Review
. 2019 Jan 30;20(3):590.
doi: 10.3390/ijms20030590.

Cardiotonic Steroids-A Possible Link Between High-Salt Diet and Organ Damage

Aneta Paczula  1 , Andrzej Wiecek  2 , Grzegorz Piecha  3
Affiliations
Review

Cardiotonic Steroids-A Possible Link Between High-Salt Diet and Organ Damage

Aneta Paczula et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

High dietary salt intake has been listed among the top ten risk factors for disability-adjusted life years. We discuss the role of endogenous cardiotonic steroids in mediating the dietary salt-induced hypertension and organ damage.

Keywords: fibrosis; hypertension; marinobufagenin; ouabain; salt.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Chemical structure of cardiotonic steroids.
Figure 2
Figure 2
A possible mechanism of salt-induced hypertension and organ damage in humans. NaCl loading stimulates brain endogenous ouabain. Endogenous ouabain in the brain activates the local renin-angiotensin system (RAS) as well as sympathetic nervous system (SNS). These actions stimulate renin-angiotensin system in adrenal cortex and release of adrenocortical marinobufagenin (MBG). MBG is secreted in order to facilitate natriuresis, but at the same time MBG induces vasoconstriction which increases blood pressure and promotes fibrosis leading to permanent heart, kidney, and arterial damage and dysfunction.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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