Effect of atrial natriuretic peptide on ischemic brain edema: changes in brain water and electrolytes

The effects of intraventricularly administered atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) on the brain water, sodium, and potassium contents in ischemic brain edema were investigated. By use of a three-vessel occlusion model, ischemic brain edema was produced in the rat brain by 15 minutes of global ischemia followed by recirculation. Water content was measured by means of a drying/weighing method; sodium and potassium contents were measured by means of flame photometry. The effects of intraventricular administration of ANP were evaluated by a comparison between the groups given 2 and 5 micrograms of atriopeptin II (treated) and those given 0.9% NaCl (sham-treated). The treated groups showed significant decreases in brain water (P less than 0.02) and sodium (P less than 0.01) contents at 15 and 30 minutes after recirculation, whereas the brain potassium contents remained unaltered. Before ischemia and immediately after 15 minutes of ischemia, intraventricularly administered ANP did not significantly change the brain water, sodium, or potassium contents. There was no significant difference in the effect on the amount of brain water and sodium between the two doses (2 and 5 micrograms). These effects of ANP were thought not to be mediated by primary changes in serum osmolality and sodium and potassium concentrations, because intraventricular administration of ANP did not change them significantly. The present results reveal that, in ischemic brain edema, ANP may act directly on the central nervous system to inhibit brain water and sodium accumulation.