Pulsatile secretion of atrial natriuretic peptide and brain natriuretic peptide in healthy humans

1999 ◽  
Vol 97 (2) ◽  
pp. 201-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erling B. PEDERSEN ◽  
Henrik B. PEDERSEN ◽  
Kaare T. JENSEN

Both atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) are involved in sodium and water homoeostasis in healthy humans. The plasma concentrations of the natriuretic peptides can be used to differentiate between dyspnoea of cardiac and pulmonary origin, and the degree of elevation of the peptide levels in the plasma in heart failure is a measure of the severity of the disease. However, the patterns of secretion of ANP and BNP are not clear either in healthy humans or in patients. The purpose of the present study was to test the hypotheses that both ANP and BNP are secreted in pulses in healthy humans, and that this phenomenon can be revealed by determination of ANP and BNP in peripheral venous blood samples. In 12 healthy subjects, blood samples were drawn every 2 min through an intravenously inserted plastic needle over a period of 2 h. Plasma concentrations of ANP and BNP were determined by RIAs, and the results were analysed for pulsatile behaviour by Fourier transformation. Pulsatile secretion of ANP was seen in 10 out of 12 subjects [ν = 0.028 min-1 (median; range 0.013–0.047 min-1), i.e. a pulse of ANP with an interval of 36 min (range 21–77 min)]. Pulsatile secretion of BNP was seen in nine out of 12 patients [ν = 0.021 min-1 (range 0.013–0.042 min-1), i.e. a pulse of BNP with an interval of 48 min (range 24–77 min)]. The main conclusion is that the secretion patterns of both ANP and BNP are pulsatile in most healthy humans. Consequently, it is important to study whether pulsatile secretion also occurs in heart failure in order to obtain the most informative predictive values both in the differential diagnosis of dyspnoea and in the evaluation of the severity of the disease.

2003 ◽  
Vol 104 (3) ◽  
pp. 303-312 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans BENTZEN ◽  
Robert S. PEDERSEN ◽  
Henrik B. PEDERSEN ◽  
Ole NYVAD ◽  
Erling B. PEDERSEN

The purpose of this study was to clarify whether the secretions of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) are pulsatile in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF), and whether the rhythmic oscillations for ANP and BNP are abnormal in patients with CHF. Several reports have shown that ANP and especially BNP are valuable indicators of the prognosis in CHF. Previously, a pulsatile secretion has been described for ANP and BNP in healthy humans and for ANP in CHF patients. More information about the secretion pattern of BNP in heart failure is necessary to increase the clinical usefulness of BNP in patients with CHF. Patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction and CHF (n = 12) and controls (n = 12) were investigated. Plasma ANP and BNP levels were determined every 2min during a 2-h period by radioimmunoassay and analysed for pulsatile behaviour by Fourier transformation. All patients and controls had significant rhythmic oscillations in plasma ANP levels, and 11 patients with CHF and 10 controls had significant rhythmic oscillations in plasma BNP levels. The amplitude of the main frequency was considerably higher in patients with CHF than in controls (ANP: CHF, 4.76pmol/l; controls, 0.75pmol/l; P<0.01. BNP: CHF, 3.24pmol/l; controls, 0.23pmol/l; P<0.001; all values are medians), but the main frequency did not differ significantly between the group with CHF and the control group for either ANP or BNP. Patients with CHF demonstrate pulsatile secretion of ANP and BNP with a much higher absolute amplitude, but with the same main frequency as healthy subjects.


2001 ◽  
Vol 49 (10) ◽  
pp. 1293-1300 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gad M. Bialik ◽  
Zaid A. Abassi ◽  
Ilan Hammel ◽  
Joseph Winaver ◽  
Dina Lewinson

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.


1992 ◽  
Vol 82 (6) ◽  
pp. 619-623 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chim C. Lang ◽  
Joseph G. Motwani ◽  
Wendy J. R. Coutie ◽  
Allan D. Struthers

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.


1995 ◽  
Vol 88 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert I. Cargill ◽  
Allan D. Struthers ◽  
Brian J. Lipworth

1. Atrial natriuretic peptide and brain natriuretic peptide have similar vasodilator and natriuretic properties, although little information is available regarding their relative effects as antagonists of the renin—angiotensin—aldosterone system. We have therefore compared how atrial natriuretic peptide and brain natriuretic peptide affect the systemic pressor and aldosterone responses to angiotensin II in eight male subjects. 2. Each subject was studied on three separate occasions, when they received a 60-min infusion of placebo, atrial natriuretic peptide (10 pmol min−1 kg−1) or brain natriuretic peptide (10 pmolmin−1 kg−1), with a concomitant infusion of angiotensin II (6 ng min−1 kg−1) given for the final 30 min of the infusion period. The change in haemodynamic parameters and plasma aldosterone induced by angiotensin II was measured. Plasma concentrations of atrial natriuretic peptide (182 ± 23 pmol/l) and brain natriuretic peptide (193 ± 25 pmol/l) achieved at steady-state during the infusion on each study day were not significantly different. 3. Increases in mean arterial pressure in response to angiotensin II were significantly lowered by concomitant infusion of atrial natriuretic peptide (21.0 ± 1.7 mmHg) and brain natriuretic peptide (20.1 ± 1.9 mmHg) compared with placebo (29.0 ± 4.1 mmHg). There were similar effects on systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Cardiac output was decreased on each study day to the same extent by angiotensin II infusion. Total systemic vascular resistance showed a non-significant trend towards an attenuated response to angiotensin II when atrial natriuretic peptide or brain natriuretic peptide was infused concomitantly in comparison with placebo. 4. Plasma aldosterone increased by 326 ± 49 pmol/l when angiotensin II was infused with placebo. Both atrial natriuretic peptide and brain natriuretic peptide significantly blunted this response, although the increase with atrial natriuretic peptide (19 ± 35 pmol/l) was significantly lower than the increase with brain natriuretic peptide (133 ± 19 pmol/l). 5. Atrial natriuretic peptide and brain natriuretic peptide were therefore equally effective in blunting the systemic pressor response to angiotensin II. It was apparent, however, in view of similar plasma concentrations at steady state, that on a molar basis atrial natriuretic peptide was a more potent inhibitor of angiotensin II-induced aldosterone secretion than brain natriuretic peptide. These results suggest a dissociation between the haemodynamic and hormonal effects of atrial natriuretic peptide and brain natriuretic peptide in terms of antagonism of the renin—angiotensin—aldosterone system.


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