The Heart as an Endocrine Gland

摘要: Two independent series of biomedical investigations have led to the discovery that atria constitute a peptide-secreting endocrine gland. The first investigation is mainly morphological and started with finding mammalian atrial (but not ventricular) cardiocytes contain "dense bodies." These bodies," later called "specific granules," were found be different from lysosomes; made up proteins; incorporate both 3H-leucine 3H-fucose in pattern typical cells. rat granulation varied sodium water balance crucial observation extracts natriuretic diuretic effects. In less than five years, this new hormone has been purified, sequenced synthesized, its CDNA gene cloned. factor (ANF) assigned distal short arm chromosome 1 band 1P36, while mouse localized 4. native synthetic hormones exert identical wide ranging effects (possibly through particulate guanylate cyclase stimulation adenylate inhibition) on kidney, blood vessels, adrenal cortex, pituitary. Physiopathologic implications experimental hypertension, congestive heart failure, expansion volume are already beginning emerge. Concurrently, search for function or factors (through studies negative pressure breathing, distension experiments, head-out immersion, volume, Na+/K+-ATPase inhibition, parabiosis experiments Dahl rats) provided general framework within which interpret cardiac function.