Background-Recent reports have indicated that aldosterone is produced in extra-adrenal tissues in animals. The present study was designed to examine whether aldosterone is produced in human heart. Methods and Results-Plasma levels of aldosterone, BNP, and angiotensin-converting enzyme were measured in anterior interventricular vein (AIV), coronary sinus (CS), and aortic root (Ao), respectively, in 20 patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD), 25 patients with LV diastolic dysfunction (LVDD), and 23 control subjects. Aldosterone levels were significantly higher in AIV and CS than Ao in LVSD (98Ϯ10 versus 72Ϯ9 pg/mL, PϽ0.001, and 97Ϯ11 versus 72Ϯ9 pg/mL, PϽ0.001, respectively) and LVDD (87Ϯ10 versus 71Ϯ9 pg/mL, PϽ0.01, and 84Ϯ10 versus 71Ϯ9 pg/mL, PϽ0.01, respectively) groups, but no differences were observed in levels for these sites in the control group. Levels of ACE activity and BNP also were higher in AIV than Ao in both LV dysfunction groups. The difference in aldosterone levels between AIV and Ao and those in BNP and angiotensin-converting enzyme had a significant positive correlation with LVEDP and a significant negative correlation with LV ejection fraction in the LVSD group. Conclusions-Production

Aldosterone upregulates ACE mRNA expression, which is blocked by spironolactone in neonatal rat cardiocytes. Thus, spironolactone may suppress the progression of heart failure by blocking the effects of aldosterone and angiotensin II.

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