Key result
Increasing LAP >15 mmHg in pigs drives vagal-dependent increases in neuromedin U and urine flow.
Why the study?
A potential biomarker for elevated left atrial pressure would be clinically useful to diagnose pre-heart failure, prompting investigation into whether neuromedin U mediates left atrial pressure-induced diuresis.
Does a sustained increase in left atrial pressure induce diuresis mediated by neuromedin U in anaesthetised pigs?
Does a sustained increase in left atrial pressure induce diuresis mediated by neuromedin U in anaesthetised pigs?
Neuromedin U may mediate the diuresis induced by elevated left atrial pressure, suggesting its potential utility as a biomarker for pre-heart failure.
Challenges NMU mediation of classical diuresis from elevated LAP; leaves open its biomarker potential for pre-HF pending human validation.
Finding a potential biomarker for elevated left atrial pressure would be clinically useful as a diagnostic for pre-heart failure. Therefore, an investigation into whether the protein neuromedin U (NMU), which is significantly elevated in heart failure patients, mediates a classical diuresis that results from a sustained increase in left atrial pressure was conducted in the anaesthetized pig. Left atrial pressure was increased a little above 15 mmHg for 30 minutes in 8 chloralose anaesthetised female pigs. There was a significant increase in circulating NMU and urine flow rate, which surprisingly occurred without an accompanying natriuresis; both the serum NMU increase and the diuresis did not occur when the procedure was repeated post-vagal section. There was also a significant increase in glomerular filtration rate during the diuresis, which indicates a likely direct renal effect. The results show that NMU could be the mediator of the historic diuresis induced by an increased left atrial pressure. Future work to assess NMU levels in humans in pre-heart failure would be required to confirm NMU’s potential usefulness as a diagnostic.
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Healy et al. (2026) studied Elevated left atrial pressure (n=8). Increased left atrial pressure vs. Post-vagal section was evaluated on Circulating neuromedin U (NMU) and urine flow rate. Increasing left atrial pressure >15 mmHg in anaesthetised pigs significantly increased circulating neuromedin U and urine flow rate, an effect that was abolished by vagal section.
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