Atrial natriuretic factor causes specific relaxation of rat renal arcuate arteries

We have investigated the effect of a synthetic 'atrial natriuretic factor' (ANF) on induced tone in rat isolated renal arcuate arteries (lumen diameter ca. 250 microns), and compared this with the effects of synthetic ANF on resistance vessels of similar size taken from the mesenteric, femoral, cerebral and coronary vasculature. Synthetic ANF was found to cause relaxation of the renal vessels when these were sub-maximally activated with K+, noradrenaline or 5-hydroxytryptamine, but had no effect on the responses of the other vessels to these agonists. Synthetic ANF had a near maximal effect (65% relaxation) at 100 nM, with an IC50 of 7.9 nM. The relaxant effect of synthetic ANF on the renal vessels was fully maintained for at least 15 min. Hydralazine (100 microM) caused relaxation of renal vessels (47%) and coronary vessels (42%), but had no effect on the other vessel types. By contrast, sodium nitroprusside (1 microM) relaxed all vessel types. The relaxant action of synthetic ANF on the renal vessels was seen in the presence of ouabain (1 mM), propranolol (1 microM), phentolamine (1 microM), atropine (1 microM) and felodipine (1 nM). In t renal vessels, synthetic ANF had no effect on membrane potential, measured with intracellular electrodes, despite the simultaneously measured relaxation. Synthetic ANF had no effect on the efflux of 22Na+ in either renal or mesenteric vessels. The results demonstrate that synthetic ANF has a specific and prolonged relaxant effect on renal small arteries, and are consistent with this effect being mediated through specific receptors.