Extracellular calcium regulates expression of the gene for atrial natriuretic factor

Primary cultures of neonatal rat cardiocytes were exposed for 24 hours to culture media containing 0-2.0 mM extracellular calcium. Both atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) messenger RNA (mRNA) and ANF secretion were increased approximately threefold in the presence of 2.0 mM CaCl2 (vs. Ca2(+)-free medium). When cardiocytes were treated with the calcium channel blockers diltiazem, nifedipine, or verapamil, both ANF synthesis and secretion fell to 25-40% of control values. The choice of transcription start site on the ANF gene was not altered by the calcium channel blockers. When exogenous calcium was added to cardiocytes treated with verapamil, secretion of ANF was partially restored to control levels. High-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of medium from cardiocytes exposed to varying extracellular calcium concentrations or treated with calcium channel blockers for 24 hours revealed that the majority of secreted immunoreactivity (60-70%) migrated with pro-ANF (17 kDa) and that none of the various experimental manipulations significantly changed the ratio of pro-ANF to ANF in the media. These results were confirmed by immunoprecipitation analysis of the culture medium from the individual treatment groups. Treatment of cardiocytes for 24 hours with either the calcium ionophore A23187 or the phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate increased ANF secretion. The combined use of these agents resulted in stimulation of both ANF secretion and ANF mRNA accumulation.