Atrial natriuretic factor partially inhibits the stimulated catecholamine synthesis in superior cervical ganglia of the rat.

We examined whether the atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) may affect the function of the peripheral autonomic neurons. ANF was found to inhibit the carbachol-stimulated synthesis of catecholamines from their labelled [3H]tyrosine precursor in an organ suspension of the rat superior cervical ganglia in vitro. This is compatible with the possibility that the previously observed inhibitory action of ANF on sympathetic nervous activity and the presence of immunoreactive ANF in the rat peripheral autonomic ganglia is related to an inhibitory-neuromodulatory role of ANF in the process of ganglionic neurotransmission.