Hemodynamic effects of chronic infusion of rANP in renal hypertensive rats

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the hemodynamic effects induced by an infusion of synthetic rat atrial natriuretic peptide (rANP, 0.5 micrograms/h iv) during 5 consecutive days in conscious normotensive and two-kidney, one-clip hypertensive (2K,1C) rats. Changes in plasma ANP (pANP) levels and plasma renin activity (PRA) were also determined. The administration of ANP in 2K,1C rats induced a significant decrease in mean arterial pressure (MAP) from 169 +/- 3 to 138 +/- 3, and 149 +/- 3 mmHg by 2 and 5 days of infusion, respectively. This hypotension was accompanied by a significant fall in cardiac index (CI) from 400 +/- 16 to 348 +/- 14 ml.min-1.kg-1 after 2 days of ANP treatment. However, CI returned to the basal levels at the third day, and a significant decrease in total peripheral resistance (TPR) was observed by 3 and 5 days of ANP infusion. The administration of the same dose of ANP in normotensive rats did not induce changes in MAP, but CI decreased (P less than 0.001) transitorily during the first 2 days and returned to control values thereafter. Basal pANP levels were significantly elevated in the hypertensive animals (176 +/- 40 pg/ml) when compared with the normotensive rats (82 +/- 10 pg/ml). The ANP infusion resulted in lower (P less than 0.05) pANP levels in hypertensive (1,017 +/- 234 pg/ml) than in normotensive rats (3,466 +/- 975 pg/ml). PRA did not change in any group during the administration of ANP.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)