Glucocorticoid-induced hypertension and the nitric oxide system.

Glucocorticoid hormones, both naturally occurring and synthetic, have long been recognized as a major cause of hypertension. There are well-described experimental models of glucocorticoid-induced hypertension, such as adrenocorticotropic hormone- and dexamethasone-induced hypertension in rats, although the exact mechanism of glucocorticoid-induced hypertension remains unclear. It was initially considered to be due to mineralocorticoid receptor activation but more recent studies have not supported this notion.