[Role of glucocorticoids in the regulation of blood pressure].

Glucocorticoids contribute to the regulation of blood pressure: glucocorticoid excess produces hypertension, and glucocorticoid deficiency is accompanied by low blood pressure. The role of endogenous glucocorticoids has been assessed in animals by using an antiglucocorticoid derivative, RU 486. It has been shown that glucocorticoids enhance vascular reactivity to angiotensin II and norepinephrine. They participate in the maintenance of blood pressure, most particularly in animals on low sodium intake where pressor systems are stimulated and vascular sensitivity has to be preserved. The exact mode of action of glucocorticoids is still debated.