Effect of chronic moderate ethanol consumption on heart brain natriuretic peptide.

There is experimental evidence indicating that chronic moderate ethanol consumption delays the age-dependent increase in blood pressure. Since the brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a potent hypotensive hormone, the effect of chronic ethanol treatment on the heart BNP system was investigated, using spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) and Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats. Chronic moderate ethanol consumption resulted in significantly lower circulating BNP levels for both SHR (206.9 +/- 18.5 vs. 306.9 +/- 28.1 pg/ml, n = 12, P < or = 0.05) and WKY rats (131.3 +/- 20.7 vs. 220.6 +/- 25.0 pg/ml, n = 12, P < or = 0.05). Left and right atrial BNP content and concentration in WKY rats and left atrial BNP content and concentration in SHR rats were augmented by the ethanol treatment, but not atrial BNP mRNA. In ventricular tissue, alcohol had no effect on total BNP content of either SHR or WKY rats, but it induced a significant elevation in ventricular BNP concentration (microgram/mg protein) and BNP mRNA in SHR, but not WKY rats. Thus, chronic ethanol treatment resulted in specific alterations in the activity of the heart BNP system.