Atrial natriuretic peptide kinetic studies in patients with cardiac dysfunction

Atrial natriuretic peptide kinetic studies in patients with cardiac dysfunction. Three studies were performed: (1) a controlled investigation of α-human atrial natriuretic peptide (α-hANP) total body production and metabolic clearance rates using a bolus infusion technique (controls, patients 1 to 6); (2) a study of α-hANP kinetics in cardiac dysfunction patients using a constant infusion method (patients 7 to 14); and (3) a right heart catheterization study to determine the amount of α-hANP released into the circulation at the level of the right heart, estimated by the step-up in α-hANP concentration between the superior and inferior vena cava and the pulmonary artery, in the patients with left ventricular dysfunction. Baseline venous plasma α-hANP was 27.3 ± 16.5 pg/ml in the controls (mean ± SD; N=6), 141.6 ± 138.0 pg/ml in patients 1 to 6 (P