Matsuo H
National Cardiovascular Center Research Institute, Suita, Osaka, Japan.
Can J Physiol Pharmacol. 2001 Aug;79(8):736-40.
The identification of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) induced an explosive series of studies on the new peptide involved in control of the circulation, both in the basic and clinical fields. During the first decade of ANP research surprising progress has been made, revealing that the heart is an endocrine organ regulating the circulation system. ANP has been developed as a diagnostic tool and as a therapeutic drug for cardiac failure. In the second decade, brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) were identified, unveiling new profiles of this peptide family. Although BNP is also a circulating hormone that shares a common receptor with ANP, it is different from ANP in its' synthesis and secretion. Plasma concentration of BNP reflects the severity of heart failure in patients in a dramatic fashion, much moreso than ANP. Thus, BNP has been developed as a powerful diagnostic tool for cardiovascular diseases. The third congener, CNP, having a receptor of its own, was initially thought to function only in the brain. CNP was subsequently found to be produced from vascular endothelial cells and macrophages, indicating that CNP is a local regulator and also an antiproliferative factor in the vascular cell system, rather than a circulating hormone. Trials for the clinical application of CNP have also been discussed.
心房利钠肽（ANP）的发现引发了基础和临床领域一系列关于这种参与循环系统调控的新肽的深入研究。在ANP研究的第一个十年里取得了惊人的进展，揭示出心脏是调节循环系统的内分泌器官。ANP已被开发成为一种诊断工具和治疗心力衰竭的药物。在第二个十年里，脑利钠肽（BNP）和C型利钠肽（CNP）被发现，展现了这个肽家族的新特征。尽管BNP也是一种循环激素，与ANP共用一个受体，但它在合成和分泌方面与ANP不同。BNP的血浆浓度以显著方式反映患者心力衰竭的严重程度，比ANP更甚。因此，BNP已被开发成为心血管疾病的一种强大诊断工具。第三种同类物CNP有其自身的受体，最初被认为仅在大脑中发挥作用。随后发现CNP由血管内皮细胞和巨噬细胞产生，这表明CNP是一种局部调节因子，也是血管细胞系统中的抗增殖因子，而非循环激素。关于CNP临床应用的试验也已展开讨论。
