A quick glance at rapid aldosterone action.

Not all of the actions of aldosterone are mediated by the classic genomic pathway involving transcription and translation. Non-genomic or non-classical rapid responses that do not require these steps have been known for some time, but have only attracted significant interest in the last decade. At the cellular level, second messengers and kinase cascades are commonly involved. Most of these non-classical effects are insensitive to inhibitors of the classical cytosolic mineralocorticoid receptor. Non-genomic aldosterone action has been observed in clinical studies particularly in the cardiovascular system, and further research may improve the understanding of their participation in the pathogenesis of aldosterone related diseases and eventually enhance the options for therapy.