Atrial natriuretic factor: reduced cardiac content in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

We recently discovered a potent natriuretic factor in cardiac atrial tissue. The present experiments were designed to determine whether hypertension was associated with altered tissue content of this atrial natriuretic factor. Extracts were prepared using fresh atria from spontaneously hypertensive rats of the Okamoto strain and from their Wistar-Kyoto controls. Two groups of anesthetized, normovolemic rats (Sprague-Dawley) were used to measure the renal natriuretic and chloriuretic effect of each type of extract. Results indicate that atrial content of natriuretic factor is reduced in hypertensive rats compared to control animals. We speculate that chronic release of the factor could have depleted atrial stores, and that increased blood levels of atrial natriuretic factor may be involved in the generation and maintenance of hypertension in this model.