Control of atrial natriuretic factor release in conscious dogs.

The aim of this study was to examine the changes in the concentration of plasma immunoreactive atrial natriuretic factor (iANF) that occur in response to expansion or depletion of the extracellular fluid volume in conscious dogs. The plasma iANF concentration was also measured postprandially after the ingestion of a meal containing 125 meq of sodium. Postprandial plasma iANF increased 45% (P less than 0.05) above the base-line concentration, and this increase was accompanied by a brisk natriuresis. After a low-sodium meal, however, plasma iANF and sodium excretion failed to increase. The plasma iANF concentration increased from 57 +/- 5 to 139 +/- 36 pg/ml (P less than 0.05) immediately after volume expansion with intravenous isotonic saline infusion (2.5% body wt) administered over a 30-min period; plasma iANF remained elevated at 90 +/- 14 pg/ml (P less than 0.05) for an additional 30 min before returning toward preinfusion levels. Plasma iANF decreased 45% from 78 +/- 17 to 43 +/- 7 pg/ml (P less than 0.05) in response to the administration of ethacrynic acid (2.0 mg/kg, iv bolus) that produced an estimated 15% depletion of intravascular volume. In additional experiments the infusion of synthetic alpha-human ANF at 100 and 300 ng X kg-1 X min-1 increased (P less than 0.05) both the plasma iANF concentration and the urinary excretion of iANF. This study demonstrates that the secretion of ANF is consistently influenced by changes in the extracellular fluid volume. Furthermore, the results support the concept that ANF functions to increase postprandial sodium excretion following the ingestion of a high-sodium meal.