Dahl S rats have increased natriuretic factor in atria but are markedly hyporesponsive to it

Three experiments were carried out to determine whether atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) plays a part in Dahl hypertension. Results showed that ANF from both atria from 13 Dahl salt-sensitive (S) rats that had been fed a 4% NaCl diet for 12 weeks induced an average peak Na excretion of 23.0 muEq/min/g kidney in 13 Sprague-Dawley (SD) recipients vs 12.6 from atria from 13 salt-resistant (R) rats fed 4% NaCl (-45%, p less than 0.01), possibly indicating greater ANF secretion in S rats in order to enhance a reduced Na excretion. In 13 R rats, the ANF content in both atria increased from 14.0 after a 0.11% NaCl diet to 23.7 after 5 days of 4% NaCl diet (p less than 0.001) and then back to 12.6 after 12 weeks of 4% NaCl (p less than 0.001). Thus, ANF almost doubled after brief Na loading but returned to normal during continued Na loading. In S rats with a tendency to Na retention, ANF was elevated to about 23 in all three periods. ANF produced a 130-fold increase in natriuresis and a renal papillary plasma flow ( RPPF ) of 30.8 ml/min/100 g, 41% above the control level of 21.7, p less than 0.001. The marked increase in RPPF is very likely a partial cause of the natriuresis. A constant amount of ANF was continuously infused intravenously into 10 S rats and nine R rats all on 0.11% NaCl diets. Mean Na excretions in R and S were 5.3 and 4.6 muEq/min/100 g kidney before ANF.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)