Sex-specific differences in natriuretic peptide and nitric oxide synthase expression in ANP gene-disrupted mice

Sex-specific differences in hormone-mediated gene regulation may influence susceptibility to cardiac hypertrophy, a primary risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Under hormonal influence, natriuretic peptide (NP) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) systems modulate cardio-protective gene programs through common downstream production of cyclic guanosine 3'-5' monophosphate (cGMP). Ablation of either system can adversely affect cardiac adaptation to stresses and insults. This study elucidates sex-specific differences in cardiac NP and NOS system gene expression and assesses the impact of the estrous cycle on these systems using the atrial natriuretic peptide gene-disrupted (ANP(-/-)) mouse model. Left ventricular expression of the NP and NOS systems was analyzed using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction in 13- to 16-week-old male, proestrous and estrous female ANP(+/+) and ANP(-/-) mice. Left ventricular and plasma cGMP levels were measured to assess the convergent downstream effects of the NP and NOS systems. Regardless of genotype, males had higher expression of the NP system while females had higher expression of the NOS system. In females, transition from proestrus to estrus lowered NOS system expression in ANP(+/+) mice while the opposite was observed in ANP(-/-) mice. No significant changes in left ventricular cGMP levels across gender and genotype were observed. Significantly lower plasma cGMP levels were observed in ANP(-/-) mice compared to ANP(+/+) mice. Regardless of genotype, sex-specific differences in cardiac NP and NOS system expression exist, each sex enlisting a predominant system to conserve downstream cGMP. Estrous cycle-mediated alterations in NOS system expression suggests additional hormone-mediated gene regulation in females.