title: Influence of diurnal rhythm, posture and right atrial size on plasma atrial natriuretic peptide levels.
abstract: A diurnal rhythm of plasma atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and cyclic 3'5'guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) was found in nine healthy adult volunteers. Significantly higher levels of both parameters were found in the morning (8 a.m.) than later during the day and night (p less than 0.05). Different postures had only a little influence on plasma ANP and cGMP levels in seven healthy adult volunteers using a tilt table. Tilted from supine into upright, head-down (-20 degrees) and then again into supine posture, significant differences of both parameters were only found between levels shortly after the end of the upright posture and those at the end of the head-down posture (p less than 0.05). Furthermore, in infants with various congenital heart diseases (n = 19) and control infants (n = 35) the right atrial area was determined by two-dimensional echocardiography and related to plasma ANP levels. Out of 19 infants with cardiac disease, 11 showed an enlarged right atrial area (i.e. above the 95th percentile in the range of control infants). All these 11 infants also had higher plasma ANP levels (range 115-670 pg/ml) than the healthy infants (range 5-98 pg/ml). These data support the assumption that atrial wall distension seems to be a stimulus for ANP release.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, University of Munich, FRG.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Weil
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Strom
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Heim
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schindler
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haufe
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vogel
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gerzer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor / Q000097:blood*; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000097:blood; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011187:Posture; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor; D006152:Cyclic GMP