title: Gene expression of ANP, BNP and ET-1 in the heart of rats during pulmonary embolism.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Atrial natriuretic petide (ANP), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) may reflect the severity of right ventricular dysfunction (RVD) in patients with pulmonary embolism (PE). The exact nature and source of BNP, ANP and ET-1 expression and secretion following PE has not previously been studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Polystyrene microparticles were injected to induce PE in rats. Gene expression of BNP, ANP and ET-1 were determined in the 4 cardiac chambers by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (QPCR). Plasma levels of ANP, BNP, ET-1 and cardiac troponin I (TNI) were measured in plasma. PE dose-dependently increased gene expression of ANP and BNP in the right ventricle (RV) and increased gene expression of ANP in the right atrium (RA). In contrast PE dose-dependently decreased BNP gene expression in both the left ventricle (LV) and the left atrium (LA). Plasma levels of BNP, TNI and ET-1 levels dose-dependently increased with the degree of PE.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found a close correlation between PE degree and gene-expression of ANP, and BNP in the cardiac chambers with a selective increase in the right chambers of the heart. The present data supports the idea of natriuretic peptides as valuable biomarkers of RVD in PE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Physiology, Nuclear Medicine and PET, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark. henrikgb@gmail.com
authors.forename: Henrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gutte
authors.forename: Jytte
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Oxbøl
authors.forename: Ulrik Sloth
authors.initials: US
authors.lastname: Kristoffersen
authors.forename: Jann
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mortensen
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kjaer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000235:genetics*; D015870:Gene Expression; D008297:Male; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism*; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000235:genetics*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D019332:Endothelin-1; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor