title: Decline of atrial natriuretic peptide release in dogs during sustained rapid cardiac pacing.
abstract: 1. To assess the ability of the atria to maintain elevated plasma concentrations of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), the temporal changes in plasma ANP concentrations were studied in seven chloralose-anaesthetized dogs during 4 h of sustained rapid cardiac pacing. 2. Heart rate increased from 124 +/- 26 (mean +/- SEM) to 278 +/- 28 beats/min for the 4 h duration of rapid cardiac pacing. Mean pulmonary wedge pressure increased from 3.6 +/- 1.8 to 17.4 +/- 7.1 mmHg at 30 min (P less than 0.01) and mean right atrial pressure rose from -1.7 +/- 1.9 to 2.0 +/- 2.8 mmHg at 30 min (P less than 0.01). Both remained constant at these elevated pressures for the entire 240 min of rapid pacing. 3. Arterial ANP concentrations increased in all dogs from 87 +/- 11 to a maximum of 1263 +/- 592 pmol/l at 30 min (P less than 0.01), falling to 411 +/- 42 pmol/l after 60 min and to 146 +/- 70 pmol/l after 240 min of rapid continuous pacing (P less than 0.01 compared with 30 min). Coronary sinus ANP concentrations showed a similar pattern, rising from 241 +/- 79 to a maximum of 1837 +/- 203 pmol/l after 30 min (P less than 0.01). These peak values likewise were not sustained, falling to 962 +/- 198 pmol/l after 60 min and 297 +/- 41 pmol/l after 240 min of rapid pacing (P less than 0.01 compared with 30 min). 4. It is concluded that atria are unable to maintain the peak concentrations of ANP reached after 30 min of rapid pacing despite persistently elevated atrial pressures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Westminster Hospital, Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School, London.
authors.forename: K P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Walsh
authors.forename: T D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wilder
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pitts
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Lightman
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sutton
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor / Q000097:blood*; D002304:Cardiac Pacing, Artificial; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D008297:Male; D011669:Pulmonary Wedge Pressure; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor