BACKGROUND The heart has been demonstrated not only to be a pumping organ but also an endocrine organ secreting atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP). We hypothesized that myocardial ischemia may affect ANP secretion and that reperfusion therapy for acute myocardial infarction can preserve endocrine function of the heart. METHODS AND RESULTS Twenty patients with acute right ventricular infarction ...

To explore whether pathophysiological plasma levels of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) actually involve sodium excretion in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), we examined the in vivo and ex vivo effects of ANP and an endopeptidase inhibitor, thiorphan, on urinary sodium excretion and the elimination rate of ANP. We found the following: 1) The basal plasma ANP level was higher in 16-week-ol...

BACKGROUND By promoting salt and water excretion, the corin and the atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) system should help to maintain fluid balance in heart failure. Yet, the development of fluid retention despite high levels of ANP-related peptides suggests that this compensatory system is limited. METHODS AND RESULTS Levels of circulating corin (the pro-ANP-converting enzyme) and pro-ANP were...

To investigate the involvement of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) in secondary hypertension, we examined hormonal and renal responses to ANP infusion (0.025 microgram/kg/min) in 27 patients with renal parenchymal hypertension, 10 with primary aldosteronism, 8 with renovascular hypertension, and 15 normotensive subjects. The preinfusion plasma concentration of ANP was significantly higher in pa...

Nephrotic syndrome is associated with resistance to the renal actions of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP). We performed experiments in anesthetized, acutely nephrectomized rats 21-28 days after injection of adriamycin (7-8 mg/kg iv) or 9-14 days after injection of anti-Fx1A antiserum (5 ml/kg ip) (passive Heymann nephritis; PHN) to test whether extrarenal resistance also occurred. Proteinuria w...

Atrial and brain natriuretic peptides (ANP and BNP, respectively) are potent pulmonary vasodilators that are upregulated in hypoxia-adapted rats and may protect against hypoxic pulmonary hypertension. To test the hypothesis that C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) also modulates pulmonary vascular responses to hypoxia, we compared the vasodilator effect of CNP with that of ANP on pulmonary arteria...

The administration of exogenous atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) causes a natriuresis and diuresis in man, but this has, to date, only been demonstrated at plasma ANP concentrations within the high pathological or pharmacological ranges. Evidence that ANP acts physiologically requires the demonstration of a natriuretic effect when it is infused to recreate plasma concentrations similar to those...

Plasma levels of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) were measured in 32 untreated subjects with essential hypertension and in 31 patients undergoing long-term treatment with beta-blockers. Patients receiving beta-blockers had significantly higher mean plasma ANP levels (72.0 +/- 36.0 [SD] pg/ml) than did untreated hypertensive subjects (39.8 +/- 15.8 pg/ml; p less than 0.01) and healthy normotens...

This study was designed to investigate the relationship among brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and left ventricular mass (LVM), ejection fraction, and LV geometry in a large cohort of dialysis patients without heart failure (n = 246) and to test the prediction power of these peptides for total and cardiovascular mortality. In separate multivariate models of L...

BACKGROUND High levels of endogenous atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) are thought to compensate the condition of patients with heart failure by reducing preload and afterload. However, recent reports have indicated that a high plasma ANP level is a prognostic predictor in patients with heart failure. Therefore, the role of endogenous ANP has not been clearly established in patients with heart f...