Atrial dynamics, atrial natriuretic factor, tachycardia, and blood volume in anesthetized rabbits.

The effects of tachycardia and a slow (1%/min) 20% reduction and elevation of blood volume (BV) on right atrial pressure (RAP), right atrial dimension (RAD), and plasma immunoreactive atrial natriuretic factor (IR-ANF) were examined in anesthetized rabbits. Plasma IR-ANF was significantly increased during pacing at 6 Hz in the presence of high BV but not at low BV. Mean RAP increased with expansion of BV, but this change was not associated with significant changes in IR-ANF. There were no statistically significant changes in systolic or diastolic RAD with alterations in BV or with tachycardia. Tachycardia had no effect on left atrial dimension. Diastolic right atrial wall stress (DRAS) and minute DRAS increased with a 20% increase in BV, but changes in BV did not affect systolic right atrial wall stress (SRAS) or minute SRAS. Tachycardia decreased DRAS at high BV and significantly increased SRAS and minute SRAS. The increases in SRAS and minute SRAS were greater during tachycardia at high BV, suggesting that an interaction between BV and tachycardia results in potentiation of SRAS and minute SRAS. The results suggest that systolic RAS is a significant factor in ANF release during tachycardia at high BV.