title: Atrial natriuretic factor production and secretion during clinical total artificial heart-bridge-to-transplantation.
abstract: In 5 total artificial heart (TAH)-bridge-to-transplant (BTT) patients production and secretion of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF)1 was studied before, during, and after TAH implantation. Bridging periods lasted between 9 and 28 days. Atrial biopsies were taken during implantation, and after TAH explantation for histologic and histochemical investigations to evaluate differences in morphology and ANF-content of the specific atrial granules. Plasma concentrations of ANF (pANF), aldosterone (PAC) and renin (PRC) were measured daily, as were hemodynamic parameters. In the preoperative state, pANF was always markedly elevated, while during TAH bridging, pANF remained moderately elevated with fluctuations. A positive correlation between pANF levels and right atrial pressure (RAP) was seen in all patients (p less than 0.05). Slight correlation was also observed between pANF and left atrial pressure (LAP), but no correlation was seen between pANF and systemic blood pressure, and no consistent pattern was seen in the plasma concentrations of either renin or aldosterone. After heart transplantation (HTX), which was performed in 3 patients, pANF levels were significantly higher than during TAH, and continued to show a positive correlation with RAP. From our data, we conclude that ANF production sites and secretory mechanisms remain intact during TAH-bridging, although upon implantation of a TAH, the remaining atria are deprived of all coronary blood supply and most autonomic innervation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, General Hospital of Vienna, University of Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Trubel
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wieselthaler
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Buxbaum
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rokitansky
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schima
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schreiner
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Vierhapper
authors.forename: W K
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Waldhäusl
authors.forename: U M
authors.initials: UM
authors.lastname: Losert
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wolner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000450:Aldosterone / Q000097:blood; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor / Q000097:blood*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000473:pathology; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000097:blood / Q000628:therapy*; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000502:physiology*; D006354:Heart, Artificial; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012083:Renin / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000450:Aldosterone; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor; D012083:Renin