Atrial natriuretic peptide in normotensive and hypertensive heart transplanted patients.
OBJECTIVE
The present study is aimed to investigate the 24-hour pattern of Atrial Natriuretic Peptide (ANP) plasma concentration in normotensive (N) and hypertensive (H) heart transplanted patients (HTP) in order to detect the pathophysiological role of blood pressure regimen for ANP increase in HTP.


METHODS
Eight NHTP and five HHTP have been investigated, all being hemodynamically compensated, without histological evidence of rejection and treated by Cyclosporine, Azathioprine and Prednisone. The control group was constituted by 10 clinically healthy subjects (CHS). ANP was assayed six times over the 24 h span. The contrasts between groups were statistically analyzed by means of Student's t-test for the 24 h mean values.


RESULTS
The t-test found a statistically significant difference between the ANP 24 h mean levels either of CHS and HTP or NHTP and HHTP. The ANP 24 h mean plasma levels are increased of 190.4% in HHTP and of 44.3% in NHTP in comparison with CHS.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings suggest that the further elevation of ANP in HHTP is a compensatory mechanism to antagonize high blood pressure. Moreover, being the ANP percent increase in HHTP three times more.
Cugini
P
P
University La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
Lucia
P
P
Scibilia
G
G
Di Palma
L
L
Cioli
A R
AR
Marino
B
B
Cianetti
A
A
Gasbarrone
L
L
Canova
R
R
D000328:Adult; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor / Q000097:blood*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D005260:Female; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology
D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor