title: Atrial natriuretic peptide and oxidative stress.
abstract: Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) is a hormone, produced mainly by cardiomyocytes, with a major role in cardiovascular homeostatic mechanisms such as natriuresis and vasodilation, which serve to regulate blood pressure. However, ANP also acts as an autocrine/paracrine factor on other targets such as kidney, lung, thymus, liver and the immune system. ANP participates in the regulation of cell growth and proliferation, and evidence is accumulating that these effects are associated with the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In vascular cells and cardiomyocytes ANP stimulates the antioxidant defense, but in other systems such as hepatoblastoma and macrophages ANP may produce either antioxidant or prooxidant effects, depending on experimental conditions and cell context. At present very little is known on the relationship between ANP and ROS production in the normal homeostatic processes or during the development of cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Our current knowledge of the role of ANP in signaling pathways leading to the generation of intracellular messengers such as diacylglycerol (DAG), and guanosine 3'-5'-cyclic monophosphate has been examined in order to clarify the mechanisms by which the hormone may counteract or contribute to the potentially dangerous effects of free radicals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Rome, Italy. paolo.de.vito@uniroma2.it
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: De Vito
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Incerpi
authors.forename: Jens Z
authors.initials: JZ
authors.lastname: Pedersen
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Luly
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D019255:NADPH Oxidases / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D017461:Receptors, Atrial Natriuretic Factor / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor; D019255:NADPH Oxidases; D017461:Receptors, Atrial Natriuretic Factor; D006152:Cyclic GMP