title: Atrial natriuretic peptide.
abstract: This report has reviewed some of the cardiovascular aspects of ANP. The emergence of the heart as an endocrine organ requires that numerous questions be asked with regard to the importance of ANP to anesthesia and surgery. It is clear that the interaction of the hormone with other vasoactive compounds, including anesthetic agents, requires further elucidation. The accumulation of more information regarding the regulation of ANP and its cardiovascular setting will define its role in hemodynamic homeostasis in the acute clinical setting. Questions of specific interest to the anesthesiologist that require elucidation are: (1) Does the presence of abnormal ANP levels, associated with specific disease states, affect perioperative cardiovascular function? (2) Do cardiac surgery and CPB affect ANP-adrenergic interaction? (3) What is the relationship among blood volume, blood pressure, cation metabolism, and the ANP-renin-angiotensin system in perioperative patients? (4) What is the role of ANP as a therapeutic modality in surgical patients?
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710.
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: McIntyre
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Schwinn
mesh_terms: D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor / Q000502:physiology*; D006321:Heart / Q000502:physiology; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor