Cardiovascular and fluid responses to atrial natriuretic factor in sheep fetus.

Presently little is known about the effects of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) in the fetus. In this study we explored the effects of ANF on vascular pressures and fluid dynamics in the chronically catheterized sheep fetuses averaging 133 days gestation (term = 145-150 days). Under resting conditions plasma ANF concentration was positively correlated with fetal heart rate (P less than 0.001) and was not correlated with arterial pressure, venous pressure, or plasma osmolality. The weight-normalized fetal urine flow rate correlated positively with ANF concentration (P less than 0.01). After a bolus injection of 8 micrograms/kg of synthetic human ANF into the inferior vena cava, fetal arterial pressure decreased by 2 mmHg and remained at this level for 60 min, venous pressure was unchanged, and heart rate increased transiently by 15 beats/min. Urine flow rate increased to 250% of control 5 min after the injection and returned to control at 20 min even though ANF was four times control levels. Fetal blood volume decreased significantly by 5% within 10 min and remained low for 60 min. This decrease in blood volume was greater than the increase in urine flow. A kinetic analysis revealed that ANF disappearance from the plasma could not be adequately characterized with a single rate constant due to exchange between plasma and interstitial fluid.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)