atrial-natriuretic-factor and Adrenocortical-Hyperfunction

The function of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) is claimed to be control of salt and water homeostasis, and thus, the hormone may be involved in the pathogenesis of certain diseases with impaired volume regulation. We, therefore, studied plasma ANP concentration in dogs with chronic renal failure, congestive heart failure, and hyperadrenocorticism. Dogs with chronic renal failure had twofold higher plasma ANP concentration (16.2 +/- 5.8 fmol/ml), compared with healthy dogs (8.3 +/- 3.5 fmol/ml). An even more distinct increase (sixfold) of plasma ANP concentration was found in dogs with congestive heart failure (52.9 +/- 29.7 fmol/ml). In contrast, dogs with hyperadrenocorticism did not have high ANP plasma concentration (5.5 +/- 2.0 fmol/ml). High-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of plasma from dogs with congestive heart failure indicated that, in addition to the normal circulating form of ANP (99-126), the unprocessed precursor ANP (1-126) is detectable in the circulation. These qualitative and quantitative alterations of plasma ANP concentration in dogs further suggest involvement of this peptide in the development and/or maintenance of diseases associated with impaired volume regulation.

Topics: Adrenocortical Hyperfunction; Animals; Atrial Natriuretic Factor; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Dog Diseases; Dogs; Female; Heart Failure; Kidney Failure, Chronic; Ligands; Male; Radioimmunoassay

In vitro studies have shown that glucocorticoids may increase atrial natriuretic-hormone (ANH) synthesis and/or release. This action of glucocorticoids has also been suggested in vivo in patients with Cushing's syndrome. However, in this circumstance, plasma AH elevation might be due to humoral disturbances associated with cortisol overproduction. We studied 16 patients with endogenous hypercorticism and 11 of them after successful treatment. Plasma levels of ANH, plasma renin activity (PRA), aldosterone, desoxycorticosterone (DOC), angiotensin II (AII), cortisol, osmolarity, sodium and potassium, urinary free cortisol (UFC), and blood pressure were measured. Before treatment the mean plasma ANH concentration in patients with Cushing's syndrome was significantly higher than in controls (11.3 +/- 2.6 vs. 4.9 +/- 2.3 pmol/l; p less than 0.001). ANH was correlated with cortisol and UFC (r = 0.715, r = 0.700; p less than 0.05). There was no significant correlation between plasma ANH, PRA, aldosterone, DOC, AII, osmolarity, sodium or blood pressure. After recovery, ANH concentration decreased in all patients and was not different from that of normal subjects (4.9 +/- 2.3 vs. 4.3 +/- 2.6 pmol/l). These results suggest that in Cushing's syndrome, ANH secretion is mainly dependent on the severity of hypercortisolism and independent of the other associated disturbances that we studied.

Topics: ACTH Syndrome, Ectopic; Adenoma; Adrenal Cortex Diseases; Adrenal Cortex Neoplasms; Adrenocortical Hyperfunction; Adult; Angiotensin II; Atrial Natriuretic Factor; Cushing Syndrome; Desoxycorticosterone; Humans