Paradoxical relationship between atriopeptin plasma levels and diuresis-natriuresis induced by acute volume expansion

Surgical removal of one or both atrial appendages was employed in rats to reduce the intrinsic stores of atriopeptin (AP). In conscious rats (with intact baroreceptor reflexes), bilateral or unilateral atrial appendectomy suppressed the diuresis and natriuresis produced by acute volume expansion. Surprisingly, volume expansion (with 4% bovine serum albumin in saline at 1.5 ml/kg per min for 15 min) did not result in an increase in plasma AP immunoreactivity (APir) in control or atrial-appendectomized conscious rats. Previous studies demonstrated that acute volume expansion in anesthetized animals caused increased plasma APir. Indeed, we found that volume expansion causes comparable diuresis-natriuresis in conscious and chloral hydrate-anesthetized rats, but only the latter group exhibits an increase in plasma APir. Brattleboro rats, which are deficient in vasopressin, exhibit the same response as Long-Evans controls in that acute volume expansion in conscious animals produces a pronounced diuresis and natriuresis but no APir release, but when these same animals are anesthetized, there is a simultaneous induction of diuresis-natriuresis and APir release by volume expansion. Plasma AP does not increase in conscious rats despite a large volume load, 30-40% of the total blood volume given in 15 min, and the natriuresis-diuresis appears to also be independent of vasopressin. On the other hand, the diuresis induced by acute volume expansion in anesthetized rats seems dependent on the elevated APir, since rats made autoimmune to AP (which are nonresponsive to exogenous AP infusions) exhibit a diuresis in conscious but not anesthetized rats. We therefore conclude that the participation of AP in volume homeostasis is more likely in pathophysiological states and that another mechanism or possibly another atrial factor mediates the diuresis-natriuresis induced by volume expansion in conscious rats.