Effect of atrial peptide on gastric acid secretion in rats

The effect of synthetic rat atriopeptin (AP) II was examined on basal, vagally and carbachol-induced gastric acid secretion in anesthetized rats. AP II infusion, at stepwise increasing doses of 2, 20 and 100 ng/kg/min, had no effect on basal acid secretion. At doses of 2 and 20 ng/kg/min, AP II augmented vagally induced acid secretion significantly. The secretory response to vagal stimulation + AP II 20 ng/kg/min was completely abolished by atropine. In contrast a higher dose of AP II (50 ng/kg/h) reduced vagally induced acid secretion significantly. This dose of AP II also reduced acid secretion during direct cholinergic stimulation by carbachol, while the lower dose of 20 ng/kg/min had no effect on carbachol-induced acid secretion. The present data demonstrate for the first time an effect of atrial peptide on gastric acid secretion. At lower doses AP II augments the vagal influence on parietal cell function perhaps by augmenting vagally induced acetylcholine release. At higher doses AP II exerts an inhibitory effect on parietal cell function during vagally and carbachol-induced acid secretion, suggesting different and as yet unknown mechanisms of action. These results raise the possibility that the heart can exert a hormonally mediated influence on the regulation of gastric acid secretion.