In vivo metabolism of atrial natriuretic peptide: identification of plasma metabolites and enzymes responsible for their generation.

The in vivo metabolism of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) has been studied in the rat after i.v. administration of either [106Phe-14C]- or [126Tyr-125I]-ANP(103-126). Plasma samples containing radioactive peptides were separated by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The major plasma metabolites were [125I]Tyr and [14C]Phe for the iodinated and 14C-labeled peptides, respectively. Both peptides had ANP(104/5-126) as a metabolite. Administration of labeled peptide by either bolus or infusion produced the same metabolite profile. To determine which enzymes were responsible for generating these initial metabolites, animals were first dosed with various protease inhibitors before the infusion of [14C]ANP(103-126). The amino-peptidase inhibitor bestatin and the angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor captopril caused 54 and 66% increases in plasma ANP(103-126), respectively, but no other effects. Administration of the endopeptidase 24.11 inhibitor thiorphan led to a 158% increase of ANP(103-126) in plasma and an 11-fold increase in ANP(104/5-126). The latter metabolite could be selectively decreased by pretreatment with bestatin in combination with thiorphan. The results demonstrate that the initial plasma metabolites of ANP(103-126) are due to the activity of endopeptidase 24.11, a bestatin-sensitive aminopeptidase, and a carboxypeptidase. The plasma clearance of the peptide is probably also due to cellular binding and uptake in combination with glomerular filtration as very few plasma metabolites were observed even at very high rates of ANP(103-126) infusion.