title: Changes in atrial natriuretic factor processing and secretion with age.
abstract: The effect of age on atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) metabolism in the rat was studied. Plasma ANF levels rose with age. A positive correlation was found between age and plasma ANF levels. Molecular forms of ANF were also examined. alpha-ANF and gamma-ANF were present in the circulation. The ratio of gamma-ANF/alpha-ANF increased with age. The atria were isolated and perfused to determine the ANF secretion rate. The spontaneous release of ANF decreased with age. The released ANF mainly consisted of alpha-ANF with a small amount of gamma-ANF. The ratio of gamma-ANF/alpha-ANF in the effluent increased with age. ANF concentrations in the atria varied with age, but the molecular forms did not. gamma-ANF was the main form found in the atria. These results suggest that ANF secretion as well as post-transcriptional processing is altered with age.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kao
authors.forename: E F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: N L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Wong
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood*; D000818:Animals; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor / Q000097:blood*; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
chemical_list: D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor