Localization and mechanism of secretion of B-type natriuretic peptide in comparison with those of A-type natriuretic peptide in normal subjects and patients with heart failure.

TLDR: Examination of the sources and mechanisms of the secretion of BNP in comparison with those of ANP in control subjects and in patients with heart failure concludes that BNP is secreted mainly from the left ventricle in normal adult humans as well as in Patients with left ventricular dysfunction.

Abstract: BACKGROUNDB-type or brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a novel natriuretic peptide secreted from the heart that forms a peptide family with A-type or atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), and its plasma level has been shown to be increased in patients with congestive heart failure. This study was designed to examine the sources and mechanisms of the secretion of BNP in comparison with those of ANP in control subjects and in patients with heart failure.METHODS AND RESULTSWe measured the plasma levels of BNP as well as ANP in 16 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (11 men and 5 women; mean age, 59 years) and 18 control subjects (9 men and 9 women; mean age, 54 years) by sampling blood from the femoral vein, the aortic root, the anterior interventricular vein (AIV), and the coronary sinus using the newly developed immunoradiometric assay systems. In the control subjects, there was no significant difference in the plasma ANP level between the aortic root and the AIV (24.0 +/- 5.2 pg/mL versus 32.2 +/- 17.0 pg/mL...