The atrial natriuretic factor: Its physiology and biochemistry

In the history of medical research, few advances have been more rapid — in all aspects — than those in the research on the atrial natriuretic factor since the original observation by de Bold et al. in 1981 of the marked natriuresis, diuresis, and vasorelaxation following the i. v. administration of crude atrial extracts. The atrial factor responsible for these findings has been isolated and sequenced, the cDNA coding for ANF has been cloned, and the gene has been localized on the chromosomal map. Most of its biological activities have been determined, and these clearly provide a balance to the activities of the reninangiotensin system. Many points remain to be elucidated, such as the role of ANF in patients with essential hypertension with congestive heart failure; the participation of ventricular ANF in pathological states such as hypertension and congestive heart failure; the interplay of ANF and angiotensin II in brain regions involved in the regulation of sodium, water, and blood pressure such as the AV3V region and the subfornical organ; the role of ANF in the ciliary bodies of the eyes; the relationship of particulate guanylate cyclase stimulation and adenylate cyclase inhibition with vasorelaxation; the neuromodulatory role of ANF in neural transmission; and many others. Fundamental questions remain to be answered and offer a field for innovative researches.From the Clinical Research Institute of Montreal and the Université de Montréal. Clinical Research Institute of Montréal, 110 Pine Avenue West, Montréal, Québec, Canada H2W 1R7