Mineralocorticoid receptor is involved in the regulation of genes responsible for hepatic glucose production

The mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) is expressed in kidney and plays a central role in the control of sodium, homeostatic fluid, and blood pressure. It has also been implicated in other functions in cardiovascular system, central nervous system, and adipose tissue. This study revealed a novel role of MR in the gene regulation related to hepatic glucose production. RNAi-mediated MR silencing led to a decrease in the expression of glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase), phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, and fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase 1, the enzymes known to be involved in glucose production in liver. The MR-specific antagonists also down-regulated the expression of G6Pase, while the specific agonist enhanced G6Pase expression. These observations, for the first time, revealed a novel role for MR and its ligands in the regulation of de novo glucose synthesis in hepatocytes. It also suggests the potential of liver-specific MR modulation for the treatment of hyperglycemia.