Pentobarbital anesthesia alters renal actions of alpha-hANP in dogs

The magnitude of the natriuretic response to an infusion of alpha-human atrial natriuretic peptide (alpha-hANP) has varied considerably in different studies. The greatest renal responses to alpha-hANP infusion have been observed in barbiturate-anesthetized dogs. We therefore examined the renal, hormonal, and cardiovascular responses to alpha-hANP infusion in eight female dogs, once awake and again anesthetized with pentobarbital sodium (25 mg/kg body wt). After a 20-min control period, alpha-hANP was infused at a rate of 25 ng.kg-1.min-1 for 60 min. In dogs when awake, infusion of alpha-hANP produced a significant increase in sodium excretion from a control value of 39 +/- 7 to 73 +/- 13 and 89 +/- 15 mu eq/min after 40 and 60 min. In dogs when anesthetized, infusion of alpha-hANP produced an increase in sodium excretion from 21 +/- 3 to 105 +/- 12 and 143 +/- 21 mu eq/min after 40 and 60 min. The increase in sodium excretion was significantly greater in dogs when anesthetized than when awake. We also investigated the role of the renal sympathetic nerves on these responses in six dogs after chronic bilateral renal denervation. In dogs with denervated kidneys when awake, infusion of alpha-hANP did not change sodium excretion significantly. In dogs with denervated kidneys when anesthetized, infusion of alpha-hANP significantly increased sodium excretion; however, the increase was significantly attenuated when compared with anesthetized dogs with intact kidneys. We conclude that the natriuretic response to an infusion of alpha-hANP is enhanced in dogs when anesthetized. Also, the natriuretic response was attenuated by renal denervation in dogs when anesthetized.