Key Points
- To determine the relationship between circulating and atrial tissue concentrations of atrial natriuretic peptide and the severity of ventricular dysfunction in chronic heart failure.
- Evaluated rats 4 weeks after myocardial infarction induced by left coronary artery ligation (n = 16) alongside uninfarcted controls (n = 39).
- Simultaneously measured immunoreactive atrial natriuretic peptide concentrations in plasma and right and left atria, correlating levels with right ventricular weight and infarct size.
- Rats with myocardial infarction exhibited significantly elevated plasma immunoreactive ANP (1205.8 ± 180.9 vs. 126.7 ± 8.9 pg/ml, p < 0.001) and reduced ANP concentrations in both the right atrium (31.4 ± 4.6 vs. 61.2 ± 3.2 ng/mg, p < 0.001) and left atrium (14.9 ± 2.2 vs. 32.7 ± 2.4 ng/mg, p < 0.001).
- Plasma ANP levels positively correlated with right ventricular weight (r = 0.825, p < 0.001) and infarct size (r = 0.816, p < 0.001), while atrial tissue ANP concentrations correlated negatively with both plasma ANP and ventricular weight.
Structured PICO
PPopulationRats 4 weeks after myocardial infarction induced by left coronary artery ligation (n=16) and controls (n=39)
IInterventionMyocardial infarction induced by left coronary artery ligation
OOutcomePlasma and atrial immunoreactive atrial natriuretic peptide concentrationssurrogate
In a rat model of chronic heart failure, plasma atrial natriuretic peptide levels are significantly elevated and correlate with the severity of ventricular dysfunction, suggesting its utility as an index of cardiac decompensation.