Effect of glucocorticoids on the binding of atrial natriuretic peptide to endothelial cells.

Cultured bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells were found to possess specific, high affinity receptors for atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP). When cells which had been maintained in medium containing 10% fetal bovine serum were placed in serum-free medium for 24 h, there was a 50% decrease in ANP receptor density. Addition of hydrocortisone (20 microM) or dexamethasone (1 microM) to the serum-free medium for 48 h resulted in an increase in ANP binding sites with no change in the affinity of the sites for ANP. The glucocorticoid antagonist RU 486 (1 microM) significantly (P less than 0.05) decreased the binding of ANP to cultured pulmonary artery endothelial cells in the presence of 1% fetal bovine serum. These results suggest a role for glucocorticoids in the regulation of ANP receptors on vascular endothelial cells.