title: Distribution and molecular forms of brain natriuretic peptide in porcine heart and blood.
abstract: Although brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a novel natriuretic peptide originally identified in porcine brain, recent investigation has verified the presence of BNP in porcine heart. In order to identify BNP as a circulating hormone, we analyzed the regional distribution and molecular form of immunoreactive (ir-) BNP in heart and blood. Tissue concentration of ir-BNP was high in atrium, but low in ventricle, in a manner similar to that of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP). However, the concentration of ir-BNP in atrium was only about 1/50 that of ir-ANP. In plasma, ir-BNP was found at a concentration of 1-3 fmol/ml, which was about 1/20 that of ir-ANP. Both ir-BNP and ir-ANP were present as low molecular weight forms. Three forms of ir-BNP of about 3K daltons, including BNP-26, BNP-29 and BNP-32, are thought to circulate in blood.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Miyazaki Medical College, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aburaya
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Minamino
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kangawa
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Matsuo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000032:analysis; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000032:analysis; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009206:Myocardium / Q000032:analysis*; D009928:Organ Specificity; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor