Brain natriuretic peptide and atrial natriuretic peptide in hypertensive chronic heart failure

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 inhibitor of neutral endopeptidase (dose range 10–200 mg), and the effect of an infusion of a pharmacological dose [45 μg (90 μg in two patients)] of synthetic human atrial natriuretic peptide on plasma human brain natriuretic peptide-like immunoreactivity levels in seven patients with mild to moderate chronic heart failure. 2. Plasma human brain natriuretic peptide-like immunoreactivity levels were elevated in all patients (mean ± sem 22.0 ± 6.2 pmol/l) compared with healthy control subjects (1.3 ± 0.2 pmol/l, n = 11). 3. In all patients, candoxatril increased both plasma atrial natriuretic peptide (P < 0.05) and plasma human brain natriuretic peptide-like immunoreactivity (P < 0.05) levels. 4. By contrast, an exogenous infusion of atrial natriuretic peptide had no effect on plasma human brain natriuretic peptide-like immunoreactivity levels despite increasing the plasma atrial natriuretic peptide concentration to 424 ± 74 pmol/l, which is a level of atrial natriuretic peptide which would have ‘swamped’ all atrial natriuretic peptide clearance receptors. 5. We have therefore shown that plasma human brain natriuretic peptide-like immunoreactivity levels in chronic heart failure are increased by a neutral endopeptidase inhibitor, but are unchanged by an exogenous infusion of atrial natriuretic peptide. Our results suggest that in patients with chronic heart failure, degradation by neutral endopeptidase is an important pathway for clearance of brain natriuretic peptide. By an indirect approach, we did not find any evidence of a role for atrial natriuretic peptide clearance receptors in the metabolism of brain natriuretic peptide in these patients. Although this is in agreement with work in vitro, there could be alternative explanations for the lack of a change in circulating human brain natriuretic peptide-like immunoreactivity during exogenous administration of atrial natriuretic peptide.

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Incidence of normal values of natriuretic peptides in patients with chronic heart failure and impact on survival: A direct comparison of N-terminal atrial natriuretic peptide, N-terminal brain natriuretic peptide and brain natriuretic peptide

European Journal of Heart Failure ◽

10.1016/j.ejheart.2004.12.001 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 7 (4) ◽

pp. 552-556 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Martin Hülsmann ◽

Rudolf Berger ◽

Deddo Mörtl ◽

Odette Gore ◽

Brigitte Meyer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heart Failure ◽

Chronic Heart Failure ◽

Atrial Natriuretic Peptide ◽

Brain Natriuretic Peptide ◽

Natriuretic Peptide ◽

Natriuretic Peptides ◽

Normal Values ◽

Impact On Survival ◽

Atrial Natriuretic

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Evaluation of Atrial Natriuretic Peptide and Brain Natriuretic Peptide in Atrial Granules of Rats with Experimental Congestive Heart Failure

Journal of Histochemistry & Cytochemistry ◽

10.1177/002215540104901012 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 49 (10) ◽

pp. 1293-1300 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Gad M. Bialik ◽

Zaid A. Abassi ◽

Ilan Hammel ◽

Joseph Winaver ◽

Dina Lewinson

Keyword(s):

Heart Failure ◽

Congestive Heart Failure ◽

Atrial Natriuretic Peptide ◽

Brain Natriuretic Peptide ◽

Natriuretic Peptide ◽

Aortocaval Fistula ◽

Granule Formation ◽

Gold Particles ◽

The Mean ◽

Atrial Natriuretic

The natriuretic peptides are believed to play an important role in the pathophysiology of congestive heart failure (CHF). We utilized a quantitative cytomorphometric method, using double immunocytochemical labeling, to assess the characteristics of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) in atrial granules in an experimental model of rats with CHF induced by aortocaval fistula. Rats with CHF were further divided into decompensated (sodium-retaining) and compensated (sodium-excreting) subgroups and compared with a sham-operated control group. A total of 947 granules in myocytes in the right atrium were analyzed, using electron microscopy and a computerized analysis system. Decompensated CHF was associated with alterations in the modal nature of granule content packing, as depicted by moving bin analysis, and in the granule density of both peptides. In control rats, the mean density of gold particles attached to both peptides was 347.0 ± 103.6 and 306.3 ± 89.9 gold particles/μm2 for ANP and BNP, respectively. Similar mean density was revealed in the compensated rats (390.6 ± 81.0 and 351.3 ± 62.1 gold particles/μm2 for ANP and BNP, respectively). However, in rats with decompensated CHF, a significant decrease in the mean density of gold particles was observed (141.6 ± 67.3 and 158.0 ± 71.2 gold particles/μm2 for ANP and BNP, respectively; p < 0.05 compared with compensated rats, for both ANP and BNP). The ANP:BNP ratio did not differ between groups. These findings indicate that the development of decompensated CHF in rats with aortocaval fistula is associated with a marked decrease in the density of both peptides in atrial granules, as well as in alterations in the quantal nature of granule formation. The data further suggest that both peptides, ANP and BNP, may be regulated in the atrium by a common secretory mechanism in CHF.

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