Background: Previous studies have shown that infusion of angiotensin II (Ang II) increases plasma concentrations of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) in vivo. This phenomenon has been considered secondary to the effects of Ang II on cardiac and systemic hemodynamics. The present study was designed to assess whether Ang II may exert a direct stimulatory effect on ANF release from the heart independent of changes in hemodynamics.
Methods and results: Isolated rabbit hearts were perfused in the Langendorff mode. Heart rate, coronary flow, and atrial and left ventricular (LV) volumes were kept constant. After stabilization, Ang II was infused intracoronary at increasing doses (10(-11) to 10(-8) M) in nine hearts and at a single dose of 10(-10) M in 10 hearts. Each infusion lasted for 5 minutes and was followed by a 10-minute washout period. Four hearts received vehicle alone for 80 minutes. Ang II induced a dose-dependent increase in coronary perfusion pressure and in LV developed pressure. ANF release, measured by radioimmunoassay on the extracts of the cardiac effluent, also increased during Ang II infusion and returned to the basal values during the 10-minute washout period. In the control group, coronary perfusion pressure, LV developed pressure, and LV end-diastolic pressure did not change appreciably over the observation period, whereas ANF release progressively decreased during perfusion.
Conclusions: Ang II can directly stimulate cardiac release of ANF in isolated rabbit hearts independently of changes in hemodynamics.