The stimulatory effects of the vasoactive peptides arginine vasopressin (AVP), angiotensin II (AII) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) on the release of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) were investigated in anaesthetized rats and in cultured rat atrial and ventricular cardiocytes. 2. A bolus injection of AVP induced a dose-dependent increase in plasma immunoreactive (ir)-BNP concentration in rats. AII induced a rapid and transient elevation in the ir-BNP level, while the increase produced by ET-1 was long-lasting. The elevation of the plasma ir-BNP concentration after stimulation by these three vasoconstrictors appeared to be paralleled by the elevation in mean blood pressure. 3. In the in vitro study, the rat atrial and ventricular cardiocytes both secreted ir-BNP into the medium in a time-dependent manner. ET-1 clearly stimulated the secretion of ir-BNP in both atrial and ventricular cardiocytes. In contrast, AVP and AII had no stimulatory effect in vitro. 4. Reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography of the rat plasma and culture medium revealed a single major ir-BNP component that corresponded to synthetic rat BNP-45. 5. These observations indicate that AVP, AII and ET-1 stimulate the release of ir-BNP (probably rat BNP-45) through a change in blood pressure. In addition, ET-1 may also induce ir-BNP release through direct stimulation. As a cardiac hormone secreted from ventricles as well as atria, rat BNP may play a role in the regulation of blood pressure against the pressor effects of AVP, AII and ET-1.
