Plasma release of atrial natriuretic peptide in response to blood volume expansion

Abstract

The response of plasma atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) concentration to acute intravascular volume expansion was measured in ten male Wistar rats. An infusion of 3 ml polygelene colloidal solution at 37 °C over 45 s produced peak venous pressure rises of 1·5cm water. A highly significant (PP< 0·001) increase of plasma ANP concentration to a peak of 534·8 ± 38·5 pmol/l, occurring 7·5 min after infusion. The plasma ANP concentration had fallen but remained above basal levels 30 min later (137·2 ± 26·4 pmol/l). Similar results were obtained using an identical protocol but with whole rat blood instead of polygelene solution as the volume-expanding agent. Gel column chromatography suggested that the majority of the immunoreactive ANP in rat plasma was of similar molecular size to rat α-ANP(1–28). These results support the hypothesis that blood volume expansion is a potent stimulus for the release of ANP into plasma. J. Endocr. (1986) 109, 9–13