Evaluation of plasma C-terminal atrial natriuretic peptide in healthy cats and cats with heart disease.
BACKGROUND
The clinical implications of evaluating C-terminal atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) concentration in cats are still controversial.


OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between plasma C-terminal ANP concentration and left atrial pressure (LAP) in healthy cats with volume overload (study 1), and to compare plasma C-terminal ANP in normal cats and cats with cardiomyopathy (study 2).


METHODS
Five healthy adult cats were used in study 1, and clinically healthy cats (n=8) and cats with cardiomyopathy (n=14) were used in study 2.


METHODS
In study 1, cats were anesthetized and given acetated Ringer's solution (100 mL/kg/h for 60 minute) via the cephalic vein. Hemodynamic measurements and blood samples, collected from the jugular vein, were performed at 10-min intervals. In study 2, blood samples from normal cats and cats with cardiomyopathy were collected from the cephalic vein. The plasma C-terminal ANP concentration was determined by radioimmunoassay for human alpha-ANP.


RESULTS
In study 1, volume overload significantly increased the C-terminal ANP concentration and LAP from baseline. The C-terminal ANP concentration was strongly correlated with the mean LAP. In study 2, age, E wave velocity, and the ratios of the left atrium to aorta were significantly higher in the cats with cardiomyopathy compared with the normal cats. The C-terminal ANP concentration was significantly higher in the cats with cardiomyopathy compared with the normal cats.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that the measurement of plasma C-terminal ANP in cats may provide additional information for the diagnosis of heart disease.
Hori
Y
Y
Department of Small Animal Internal Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, Kitasato University, Aomori, Japan. hori@vmas.kitasato-u.ac.jp
Yamano
S
S
Iwanaga
K
K
Kano
T
T
Tanabe
M
M
Uechi
M
M
Kanai
K
K
Nakao
R
R
Hoshi
F
F
Higuchi
S
S
D000818:Animals; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002415:Cats; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D006439:Hemodynamics; D008297:Male
D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor