Atrial Natriuretic Peptides and Renin Secretion

In several studies in vivo, atrial natriuretic peptides(ANP) did either not affect (1,2) or induced a moderate decrease(3,4) of renin secretion from the kidney or plasma renin concentrations. In these studies, ANP produced significant changes of systemic and intrarenal hemodynamics and renal tubular function, all of which are known to participate in the control of renin secretion. It therefore remained unclear, whether ANPs have any direct effect on renin secreting juxtaglomerular cells. We have therefore examined the influence of atrial natriuretic peptide on renin secretion from the isolated rat kidney, in which interference by neuronal, hemodynamic, humoral, and, to some extent, also tubular mechanisms can be excluded. Part of the results have been published in preliminary form(5).