Potential benefits of quinoxaline 1, 4-dioxides in aldosterone dysmetabolism disease—A medical hypothesis

Abstract

Quinoxaline 1, 4-dioxides (QdNOs) are quinoxa-line derivatives which have been used as an-timicrobial agents and growth promoters in animals widely. They are also assumed to cure human disease such as anticancer, antituber-cular and inhibiting parasite. QdNOs such as carbadox and their major metabolites induced a special decline of aldosterone production from the swine adrenal in vivo and in vitro, and thus cause hypovolemia, hyponatremia and hyper-kalemia. This can also be expected to be the case for human. As a mainly physiological hormone and a novel steroid with potent miner-alocorticoid activity, aldosterone plays an im-portant role in the pathophysiological process of brain, renal and heart disease progression and may be a renal and vascular risk factor. Here, we provide evidence to support the hy-pothesis that QdNOs may lead potential benefits in aldosterone dysmetabolism disease via the synthesis deficiency of aldosterone in adrenal and/or the cardiovascular tissues. If the hy-pothesis is true, it may provide a new option into the therapy for aldosterone dysmetabolism disease, especially in cardiovascular system, and thus assume a broader application of QdNOs.