Exercise release of cardiac natriuretic peptides is markedly enhanced when patients with coronary artery disease are treated medically by beta-blockers.
OBJECTIVE
This study sought to identify determinants of the exercise rise in plasma levels of cardiac natriuretic peptides (NPs) in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).


BACKGROUND
During stress, there is a variable rise in the plasma level of NPs, but this rise frequently reaches levels that are known to lower the cardiac load and that thus might be beneficial to CAD patients.


METHODS
Plasma venous concentrations of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) were determined at rest and peak exercise in 104 patients with chronic CAD who were referred to exercise thallium-201 ((201)Tl) single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and radionuclide angiography.


RESULTS
The extent of scarred myocardium by (201)Tl-SPECT and patient age were the best independent predictors of NP concentrations at rest, but also of increases in NP concentration during exercise (all p < 0.001). Moreover, beta-blocking treatment was an additional and strong independent predictor of the increase in NP concentrations at exercise (p < 0.001 for ANP; p = 0.001 for BNP). On average, exercise increases in NP concentrations were more than twice as high in patients with (n = 55) than in those without (n = 49) beta-blocker treatment (ANP: +49 +/- 63 vs. +22 +/- 25 ng/l, p = 0.01; BNP: +24 +/- 5 vs. +11 +/- 15 ng/l, p = 0.04), whereas NP concentrations at rest were equivalent in the two groups (ANP: 34 +/- 34 vs. 30 +/- 33 ng/l, p = NS; BNP: 85 +/- 152 vs. 57 +/- 101 ng/l, p = NS).


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with chronic CAD exhibit much higher exercise releases of ANP and BNP when they are treated with beta-blockers. This enhanced secretion of potent vasodilating and natriuretic agents constitutes an original therapeutic mechanism for further protecting diseased hearts against stress.
Marie
Pierre-Yves
PY
Department of Nuclear Medicine, UPRES EA 3447, Nancy, France. py.marie@chu-nancy.fr
Mertes
Paul M
PM
Hassan-Sebbag
Nathalie
N
de Talence
Nicole
N
Djaballah
Karim
K
Djaballah
Wassila
W
Friberg
Johan
J
Olivier
Pierre
P
Karcher
Gilles
G
Zannad
Faïez
F
Bertrand
Alain
A
D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000368:Aged; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon / Q000379:methods
D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor