Effect of rat plasma lipoproteins on aldosterone production by rat zona glomerulosa cells in vitro.

The possible role of plasma lipoproteins in steroidogenesis by zona glomerulosa cells was studied by examining the effect of rat plasma lipoproteins on aldosterone production by isolated rat zona glomerulosa cells. Neither very low density lipoprotein nor high density lipoprotein caused any increase in either basal or K+-stimulated aldosterone production. Low density lipoprotein (LDL) had no effect on basal aldosterone production but had a biphasic effect on K+-stimulated aldosterone production, causing a consistent enhancement of steroidogenesis at LDL cholesterol concentrations of 50-60 micrograms/ml. These data suggest that LDL may play a role in vivo in the supply of cholesterol for steroidogenesis by the rat zona glomerulosa cell.