I n the 1950s and 60s, the possible role of the heart in the control of renal excretion of salt and water, and thereby of the extra cellular fluid volume, as well as the presence of specific granules within atrial muscle cells was recognised [1, 2]. Nevertheless, little attention was paid to the possibility of the existence of an endocrine cardiac natriuretic hormone system until the landmark e...

1. Brain natriuretic peptide is a new natriuretic hormone with striking similarity to atrial natriuretic peptide, but there are no previous data concerning its clearance in man. Two pathways of clearance for atrial natriuretic peptide are recognized: degradation by neutral endopeptidase and binding to atrial natriuretic peptide clearance receptors. We have examined the effect of candoxatril, an...

BACKGROUND The role of biomarkers such as B-type natriuretic peptides (BNP and NT-proBNP) and troponins in risk stratification of acute pulmonary embolism (APE) is still debated. A meta-analysis was performed to assess the association between raised natriuretic peptide levels, alone or in conjunction with troponins, and all-cause and APE-related mortality, serious adverse events and echographic...

Historical perspective A series of experiments done in the mid 1950s established the heart as an endocrine organ. First, Kisch and colleagues detected secretory granules in guineapig atria. Henry and Pearce subsequently described increased urinary flow after balloon stretch of the canine left atrium. In an experiment done 25 years later, de Bold injected homogenised atrial tissue into rats and ...