Inhibitory effects of natriuretic peptides on vasopressin neurons mediated through cGMP and cGMP-dependent protein kinase in vitro.

The effects of natriuretic peptides on electrical activity and cellular cGMP levels were studied in neurons of the supraoptic nucleus (SON) of rat hypothalamic slice preparations. Intracellular and extracellular recordings showed that bath application of A type natriuretic peptide (ANP) at 100 nM or B type natriuretic peptide (BNP) at 100 to 300 nM decreased the firing rate and hyperpolarized the membrane potential in phasically firing (putative vasopressin) neurons. Non-phasically firing (putative oxytocin) neurons did not respond to these natriuretic peptides in firing rate or membrane potential. The membrane-permeable cGMP analogue 8-bromo cGMP at 0.5 mM and the phosphodiesterase inhibitor 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX) at 50 μM mimicked the inhibitory effects of ANP and BNP. The specific inhibitor of cGMP phosphodiesterase 1-(3-chloroanilino)-4-phenylphthalazine (MY5445) at 30 μM also decreased the firing rate of SON neurons. The cGMP-dependent protein kinase inhibitor N-(2-(methylamino)ethyl)-5-isoquinoline-sulfonamide dihydrochloride (H8) at 1 μM abolished the inhibition by natriuretic peptides. We measured cGMP and cAMP contents in discrete SON regions and compared the change of the contents before and after application of ANP and BNP. The increases in cellular cGMP accumulation were 430% for ANP and 120% for BNP, although they did not cause significant change of cAMP accumulation. The results suggest that the inhibitory effects of natriuretic peptides on putative vasopressin neurons are mediated through cGMP and cGMP-dependent protein kinase.