Intracerebroventricular atrial natriuretic peptide infusion augments the adrenocorticotropin and angiotensin II responses to hemorrhage in sheep.

The central actions of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) in rats include inhibition of arginine vasopressin (AVP) release, and less consistently, ACTH suppression and hypotension. To explore any such inhibitory actions on basal and stimulated levels of AVP and ACTH, we have studied the effect of intracerebroventricular (ICV) infusion of ANP on the hemodynamic and hormonal response to acute hemorrhage in conscious sheep. Two groups of 5 sheep received rat ANP(101-126) by ICV infusion (0.5 microgram bolus followed by 0.5 microgram/h for 3 h, or 5 micrograms bolus followed by 5 micrograms/h for 3 h) as well as artificial cerebrospinal fluid control infusions in random order. One hour after the start of the ICV infusion, acute hemorrhage (15 ml/kg BW within 10 min) was performed. Basal levels before hemorrhage of mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate and plasma hormones were unaltered by either dose of ICV ANP. After hemorrhage, the fall in MAP and rise in heart rate were similar in each group. However, compared to control infusions the response to hemorrhage of ACTH (433 +/- 147 to 2,175 +/- 588 vs. control 541 +/- 103 to 893 +/- 244 ng/l; p less than 0.016) and angiotensin II (AII) (18 +/- 3 to 94 +/- 23 vs. control 18 +/- 4 to 58 +/- 8 pmol/l; p less than 0.001) were significantly greater during high-dose ANP infusion. Although peak AVP levels more than doubled those observed on the control day, the increase did not reach statistical significance (p less than 0.1053). Plasma concentration of cortisol, aldosterone, epinephrine and norepinephrine were not significantly different in control and ANP-treated groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)