Effects of ANP on venous pressures and microvascular protein permeability in dog forelimb

Intravenous administration of alpha-atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) produces a decrease in arterial blood pressure due to a decrease in cardiac output. The mechanism of the decrease in cardiac output is unknown but has been suggested to result from transcapillary fluid efflux caused by venoconstriction and/or increased permeability of the microvascular membrane to plasma proteins. We investigated these possibilities in the dog forelimb perfused at constant flow and prepared to measure 1) large and small vessel pressures in the two parallel skin and skeletal muscle vascular beds, and limb weight; or 2) skin lymph flow and skin lymph protein concentration. In both preparations, human ANP was injected and infused into the brachial artery. Bolus injections of ANP (0.1-0.4 micrograms) depressed perfusion pressure much less than acetylcholine or an isotonic solution of potassium chloride and did not raise small vein pressures. ANP infused at nine different rates ranging from 0.1 ng to 38.8 micrograms/min failed to influence skin and muscle small and large vein pressures, limb weight, skin lymph flow, and skin lymph protein concentration. It also failed to affect perfusion pressure and skin and muscle small artery pressures until the infusion was shut off, at which time they increased above control levels. These studies suggest that human alpha-ANP is neither a direct venous constrictor nor a potent arteriolar dilator and does not directly influence the permeability of the microvascular membrane to plasma proteins in the skin and skeletal muscle of the dog forelimb.