Effect of synthetic atrial natriuretic factor on arginine vasopressin release by the rat hypothalamo-neurohypophysial complex in organ culture

The effect of synthetic rat atrial natriuretic factor (ANF, Arg 101-Tyr 126) was evaluated in an in-vitro model of rat hypothalamo-neurohypophysial complex (HNC) in organ culture in which part of hypothalamus containing a portion of undamaged magnocellular neurons is separated from posterior pituitary by a fluid tight barrier with an intact stalk connecting both structures. ANF, when added to the medium at the hypothalamus site at concentrations of 3 X 10(-5) M to 3 X 10(-7) M, did not change basal AVP release from the posterior pituitary. Similarly, a shorter form of ANF (Cys 105-Tyr 126), reported to be highly potent in inhibiting adenylate cyclase activity in various tissues, exerted no effect on AVP excretion from HNC in organ culture. The application of an hyperosomotic medium (osmolality 324 +/- 2 mOsm/kg H2O) to the hypothalamic side, together with ANF (3 X 10(-6) M), significantly lowered osmotically-stimulated AVP release. It is concluded that ANF has no effect on basal AVP release from HNC in culture and suppresses osmotically-stimulated AVP secretion in this in vitro model.