Immunoreactive atrial and brain natriuretic peptides are co-localized in Purkinje fibres but not in the innervation of the bovine heart conduction system

Summary Recently, we observed that atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) immunoreactivity was present in Purkinje fibres and nerve fibre varicosities in the conduction system of the bovine heart. In order to elucidate further the morphological correlation between natriuretic peptides and the conduction system, the distribution of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) was examined. The different parts of the conduction system in the bovine heart were dissected out and processed for immunohistochemistry with antisera against BNP and ANP. BNP immunoreactivity was frequently observed in Purkinje fibres of the atrioventricular bundle, whereas only a few Purkinje fibres in the ventricular part of the conduction system showed immunoreaction. BNP immunoreactivity was detected in regions of the Purkinje fibres which also showed ANP immunoreactivity. BNP immunoreactivity was not observed in nerve fibre varicosities. Methodologically, a larger number of small BNP immunofluorescent granular structures was observed by using an elution-restaining technique instead of conventional immunohistochemistry. The present study shows that BNP and ANP immunoreactivities frequently occur in the atrioventricular bundle and that they are co-localized in Purkinje fibres, but not in nerve fibre varicosities, in the conduction system. As previously has been proposed for ANP, the present observations suggest that also BNP may act in an autocrine and/or paracrine way in the conduction cells.