Vessel dilator enhances sodium and water excretion and has beneficial hemodynamic effects in persons with congestive heart failure.
BACKGROUND
Vessel dilator, a 37-amino acid peptide hormone synthesized in the heart, enhances urine flow 4- to 12-fold and sodium excretion 3- to 6-fold in healthy humans. The present investigation was designed to determine whether vessel dilator might have similar beneficial effects in persons with congestive heart failure (CHF).


RESULTS
Vessel dilator (100 ng/kg body weight per minute) given intravenously for 60 minutes to NYHA class III CHF subjects increased urine flow 2- to 13-fold, which was still increased (P<0.001) 3 hours after its infusion was stopped. Vessel dilator enhanced sodium excretion 3- to 4-fold in CHF subjects (P<0.01), which was still significantly (P<0.01) elevated 3 hours after infusion. Vessel dilator decreased systemic vascular resistance 24%, pulmonary vascular resistance 25%, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure 33%, and central venous pressure 27% while increasing cardiac output 34%, cardiac index 35%, and stroke volume index 24% without significantly affecting heart rate or pulmonary artery pressure in the CHF subjects. The control CHF patients did not have any changes in the above parameters.


CONCLUSIONS
These results indicate that vessel dilator has significant beneficial diuretic, natriuretic, and hemodynamic properties in humans with congestive heart failure.
Department of Medicine, James A. Haley Veterans Hospital, and the University of South Florida Health Sciences Center, Tampa 33612, USA.
D L
DL
Vesely
J R
JR
Dietz
J R
JR
Parks
M
M
Baig
M T
MT
McCormick
G
G
Cintron
D D
DD
Schocken
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004231:Diuresis / Q000187:drug effects*; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000652:urine; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009318:Natriuresis / Q000187:drug effects*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011498:Protein Precursors; C054548:atrial natriuretic factor prohormone (31-67); D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor