Increased right or left atrial pressure stimulates release of atrial natriuretic peptides in conscious dogs.

To compare release of immunoreactive atrial natriuretic peptides (iANP) caused by distention of the right and left atria, dogs were prepared with occluding cuffs around either the ascending aorta (n = 5) or the pulmonary artery (n = 4). Graded inflation of the ascending aortic cuff for 60 min caused increments in left atrial pressure (LAP) but no change or a decrease in right atrial pressure (RAP). Plasma iANP increased significantly (P less than 0.01) in response to increases in LAP as small as 2.9 +/- 0.4 mmHg. There was a significant correlation between the increment in LAP and the rise in plasma iANP (r = 0.64, n = 25, P less than 0.01). Graded inflation of the pulmonary artery cuff caused increments in RAP and a fall in LAP. Plasma iANP increased significantly (P less than 0.01) in response to increases in RAP as small as 2.8 +/- 1.1 mmHg. Also, there was a significant correlation between the increments in RAP and the rise in plasma iANP (r = 0.69, n = 20, P less than 0.01). These results indicate that physiologic increases in either RAP or LAP is sufficient to cause increased plasma levels of iANP in conscious dogs.