Direct vascular connection between adrenal gland and kidney may play an important role in pathogenesis of hypertension

A direct vascular connection between adrenal gland and kidney exists in various species. Thereby kidney function might be modified by the adrenal gland more precisely. In addition, the impact of adrenal hormones on the kidney function due to this circulatory 'by-pass' might be much stronger than judged from the relevant hormone concentrations in the circulating blood. Because overactivity of the sympatho-adrenal system is evident in essential hypertension we hypothesize that the adrenal-renal vascular connection plays an important role in the pathogenesis of arterial hypertension.