Variations in the plasma concentrations of atrial natriuretic factor and endogenous digitalis compounds during acute volume expansion in the conscious rat

: Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and Na+ pump inhibitor (digitalis-like substance, DLS) have both been proposed to participate in body sodium and water homeostasis. Plasma levels and ANP and DLS have been reported to be increased in physiological or pathological states characterized by volume expansion. In order to investigate possible mutual relationships, their concentrations were measured in parallel during acute volume expansion by injection of 25 ml/kg isotonic NaCl (A) or blood (B) in the conscious rat. ANP was measured by radioimmunoassay and DLS by inhibition of renal Na+, K+-ATPase activity and digoxin-like immunoreactivity (DLI). Five minutes after injection, plasma ANP increased to reach 700 pg/ml (A, n = 21) or 1,500 pg/ml (B, n = 5) but the ability of plasma extracts to inhibit the renal Na+, K+-ATPase activity was unchanged (16.6 +/- 2.5 vs 16.9 +/- 2.0 p. 100, A, n = 8 and 6). Digoxin-like immunoreactivity was slightly lowered after NaCl injection from (74.4 +/- 6.2 to 65.4 +/- 5.1 pg/ml, n = 21) and unchanged after blood injection (79.0 +/- 3.4 vs 81.2 +/- 5.0 pg/ml, n = 5). Plasma ANP concentrations then decreased and had returned to preinjection values before 30 (A) or 90 (B) minutes, whereas the capacity of plasma to inhibit the Na+, K+-ATPase tended to increase (25.9 +/- 4.7 p. 100 at 3 hours after injection, n = 12 compared to 17.6 +/- 1.6 p. 100, n = 20) and DLI remains stable.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)