title: Concentrations and molecular forms of human brain natriuretic peptide in plasma.
abstract: Using a highly sensitive radioimmunoassay (RIA) system for human brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), immunoreactive (ir-) human BNP was found to be present in plasma, in addition to heart and brain tissue. Plasma concentrations of ir-BNP were 0.17-0.74 fmol/ml (mean: 0.35 fmol/ml) in normal young men, being about 1/17 of the plasma concentration of human atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP). In patients with heart disease, plasma concentration of ir-BNP increased about 100-fold (5.00-177.37 fmol/ml), being nearly comparable to that of ir-ANP, even though ANP concentration also increased about 7-fold. Two molecular forms of ir-BNP in plasma were identified as BNP-32 and gamma-BNP (pro-BNP), which are also found in cardiac atrium. In normal human plasma, gamma-BNP is the predominant molecular form, while the main form in cardiac atrium is BNP-32. These results suggest that biosynthesis and secretion of BNP are augmented in heart disease and that human BNP has a unique processing and metabolic system distinct from that of ANP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tateyama
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hino
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Minamino
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kangawa
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Minamino
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sakai
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ogihara
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Matsuo
mesh_terms: D002846:Chromatography, Affinity; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008970:Molecular Weight; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000097:blood* / Q000737:chemistry; D011863:Radioimmunoassay
chemical_list: D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain