title: Atrial natriuretic peptide modifies arterial blood pressure through nitric oxide pathway in rats.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to determine the relationship between the hypotensive effect of the atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and the nitric oxide (NO) pathway. N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester bolus (L-NAME, 1 mg/kg) reverted the decrease in mean arterial pressure induced by ANP administration (5 microg/kg bolus and 0.2 microg x kg(-1) x min(-1) infusion), and the injection of L-NAME before peptide administration suppressed the ANP hypotensive response. To confirm these findings, a histochemical reaction was used to determine NADPH-diaphorase activity (a NO synthase marker) in the endothelium and smooth muscle of aorta and arterioles of the small and large intestine. ANP increased aorta and arteriole endothelium staining after both in vivo administration and in vitro tissue incubation. In both cases, L-NAME prevented the ANP effect on NADPH-diaphorase activity. Tissues incubated with 8-bromoguanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate mimicked ANP action. In addition, ANP administration increased urinary excretion of NO(x) end products. These findings indicate that ANP increases NO synthesis capability and NO production and suggest that the cGMP pathway may be involved. In conclusion, the NO pathway could be an intercellular messenger in the ANP endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation mechanism.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, PROSIVAD-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina. mcosta@huemul.ffyb.uba.ar
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: L V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Bosc
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Majowicz
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Vidal
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Balaszczuk
authors.forename: C T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Arranz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000502:physiology*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D009252:NADPH Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000494:pharmacology; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor; D009252:NADPH Dehydrogenase; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester