Ventricular Activation of the Atrial Natriuretic Factor Gene in Acute Myocardial Infarction

Abstract

To the Editor: Activation of the expression of the atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) gene has been observed in the ventricles of patients with congestive heart failure^{1 , 2} and, since ANF has natriuretic, diuretic, and vasodilating properties, may be compensatory for the ventricular overload usually associated with this condition. Since myocardial infarction may result in increased cardiac load, we have investigated the effect of acute myocardial infarction on cardiac ANF-gene expression in two patients who died of complications of anterior and posterior myocardial infarction, respectively, and in whom the location of myocardial infarction correlated with enhanced ANF-gene expression.A 69-year-old woman with . . .