AJP - Renal Physiology, Vol 250, Issue 4 749-F752, Copyright © 1986 by American Physiological Society
Atrial natriuretic factor: reduced cardiac content in cirrhotic rats with ascites
W. Jimenez, A. Martinez-Pardo, V. Arroyo, J. Gaya, F. Rivera and J. Rodes
The present study was designed to investigate whether cirrhosis with
ascites is associated with altered tissue content of atrial natriuretic
factor. Atrial extracts from 14 cirrhotic rats with ascites and increased
plasma renin activity (PRA) (14.4 +/- 4.6 ng X ml-1 X h-1) and aldosterone
concentration (148.3 +/- 17.3 ng/dl) and from 10 control rats (PRA, 3 +/-
0.5 ng X ml-1 X h-1; aldosterone, 34.7 +/- 3.7 ng/dl) were intravenously
injected into anesthetized normovolemic rats. Only one extract was assayed
in each bioassay rat. Atrial extracts from control rats increased diuresis
and natriuresis 513 +/- 91 and 3,029 +/- 752%, respectively (means +/- SE).
In contrast, atrial extracts from cirrhotic rats increased urine volume 199
+/- 49% (P less than 0.001) and sodium excretion 546 +/- 132% (P less than
0.001). These results strongly suggest that atrial content of atrial
natriuretic factor is reduced in cirrhotic rats as compared with control
animals.
