title: Plasma brain natriuretic peptide as an indicator for angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibition after myocardial infarction.
abstract: Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a cardiac ventricular hormone that may be a sensitive and specific marker of changes in ventricular function. In a prospective, randomised open trial with 16 patients followed for 6 months after first Q wave anterior myocardial infarction we set out to determine: whether BNP concentrations are raised acutely, the effect on circulating BNP of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition, how BNP and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) concentrations compared as correlates of left-ventricular ejection fraction, and whether plasma BNP concentrations could distinguish patients with low (< 40%) and relatively preserved (> 40%) ejection fractions. Plasma concentrations of BNP measured on days 2, 7, 8, 42, and 180 postinfarction were significantly raised in patients compared with normal controls and to a proportionately greater degree than ANP concentrations. Treatment with placebo (n = 8) or oral captopril (n = 8) from day 8 resulted in significantly lower BNP concentrations at days 42 (p = 0.05) and 180 (p < 0.05) in the captopril-treated group. Compared with ANP, BNP concentrations were much more strongly correlated with radionuclide-measured left-ventricular ejection fraction at days 2, 42, and 180. All 8 patients with baseline (day 2) ejection fractions of 40% or above had plasma BNP concentrations less than 10 pmol/L, whereas the 8 patients with ejection fractions less than 40% had BNP concentrations greater than 10 pmol/L. Our findings suggest that measurements of circulating BNP may identify those patients with significant left-ventricular dysfunction who have been highlighted by the Survival and Ventricular Enlargement study as likely to benefit from long-term ACE inhibition after myocardial infarction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee, UK.
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Motwani
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: McAlpine
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kennedy
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Struthers
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor / Q000097:blood; D002216:Captopril / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000187:drug effects; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor; D002216:Captopril