Effects of atriopeptin infusion versus effects of left atrial stretch in awake dogs

We infused synthetic atriopeptin III intravenously into 10 conscious dogs while monitoring renal function and systemic hemodynamics. The results obtained from these infusion experiments were compared with results from other experiments in which left atrial distension was performed in the same dogs. Both atriopeptin infusion and left atrial distension caused significant increases in urine flow, sodium excretion, potassium excretion, and free water reabsorption and a significant decrease in renal blood flow. On the other hand, the pattern of systemic hemodynamic responses to atriopeptin infusion were quite different from the hemodynamic responses elicited by left atrial distension. However, there was a striking concordance between the renal effects of atriopeptin and those of left atrial distension. We therefore hypothesize that the renal response to left atrial distension in the conscious dog is mediated largely by the release of natriuretic peptides from the atria.