Heart and plasma atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) in response to long-term endurance training in rats

Long-term endurance training effects on heart and plasma ANP were investigated in male Wistar rats. Maximal O2 uptake (VO2max) was significantly higher in trained groups, when they are used as their own control. After 3, 4, and 5 weeks of endurance training, VO2max was respectively increased by 7.7% (p less than 0.05), 13.7% (p less than 0.01), and 18.4% (p less than 0.001). Plasma ANP and glomerular ANP receptor density showed no clear variations in trained rats. However, cardiac ANP content decreased significantly in left and right atrial tissues by 35-36% (p less than 0.05) after 5 weeks of training. ANP immunoreactivity was investigated to show the distribution of ANP within the atria. ANP was found in diffuse and granular forms. The diffuse pattern (immature ANP) disappeared in cardiocytes of trained rats, while the granular form persisted, especially in the left atrial tissue. These data suggest that chronic endurance training might cause a decrease in ANP synthesis with no change in ANP storage. Such results are in agreement with the hypothesis that the left atrium could be especially involved in long-term fluid volume control.