Acute hyperglycaemia causes elevation in plasma atrial natriuretic peptide concentrations in Type 1 diabetes mellitus

To examine the effect of acute hyperglycaemia on atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) concentrations in Type 1 diabetes.

The study was two limb, randomized, and single-blind. Eight Type 1 diabetes subjects were clamped at euglycaemia by intravenous infusion of insulin. When euglycaemia was established, the insulin infusion rate was left unaltered for the remainder of the protocol, and an intravenous infusion of either 500 ml 0.9% saline or 500 ml 10% dextrose was administered over 1 h. Blood was collected for estimation of plasma glucose, ANP and BNP concentrations at 30 min intervals for 2 h from the start of the infusion period. One week later, each subject received the alternate infusion. Results are expressed as mean +/- standard deviation, and were analysed by ANOVA.

Baseline plasma glucose (P = 0.8), ANP (P = 0.8) and BNP (P = 0.8) concentrations were similar on the study days. Plasma glucose rose with dextrose (6.1 + 0.5-15.1 + 2.8 mmol/l, P = 0.9). Plasma ANP concentrations were unaltered by saline infusion (76.5 +/- 14.7-77.7 +/- 15.2 pg/ml, P = 0.9), but increased with dextrose infusion (79 +/- 14-134 +/- 17.1 pg/ml, P < 0.0001), and were higher with dextrose than saline infusion (P < 0.0001). Plasma concentrations of BNP were not significantly altered by infusion of either dextrose (5.1 +/- 3.9-9.3 +/- 5.4 pg/ml, P = 0.63) or saline (4.3 +/- 3.5-6 +/- 5.2 pg/ml, P = 0.84).

Plasma concentrations of ANP, but not BNP, rise in response to acute hyperglycaemia in Type 1 diabetes.