(Hypertension. 2000;36:355.)
© 2000 American Heart Association, Inc.
Scientific Contributions |
From Christchurch Cardioendocrine Research Group, Christchurch School of Medicine (C.J.P., T.G.Y., E.A.E.), University of Otago, and Christchurch Hospital, Christchurch, New Zealand, and the Departments of Pharmacology and Internal Medicine, University of Virginia Health Sciences Center (M.L.J.), Charlottesville, Va.
Correspondence to Tim G. Yandle, PhD, Endolab, 2nd Floor Riverside, Private Bag 4710, Riccarton Ave, Christchurch Hospital, Christchurch 1, New Zealand. E-mail tim.yandle{at}chmeds.ac.nz
| Abstract |
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Key Words: heart failure natriuretic peptides myocytes metabolism
| Introduction |
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The growing recognition of the value of plasma levels of BNP and NT-proBNP as markers of left ventricular function17 and prognosis after myocardial infarction18 has increased the need for a more detailed understanding of their secretion and metabolism in vivo. Indeed, recent findings suggest that increases in plasma BNP are a late response to cardiac decompensation,19 20 thus raising questions about the role of BNP as an early marker of heart failure. Accordingly, we have used deconvolution analysis,21 22 a well-described technique allowing the separation of in vivo secretion and elimination characteristics underlying a temporal series of plasma hormone levels, to compare the dynamic response of cardiac hormones during acute cardiac overload. Reported here is the first application of these techniques to the study of secretion and elimination of ANP, BNP, and NT-proBNP forms in sheep with acute cardiac overload.
| Methods |
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Cardiac secretion of natriuretic peptides was stimulated by
rapid ventricular pacing for 1 hour at 225 bpm, after which
pacing was discontinued. Jugular blood (5 mL) for specific
radioimmunoassay (RIA) was collected at the intervals shown in Figure 1 into ice-chilled tubes containing 100
µL of 15 mg/mL Na3-EDTA, inverted for 30
seconds, and immediately centrifuged at 2500 rpm at 4°C for
15 minutes. Plasma was stored at -70°C until extraction and assay.
The total volume of blood drawn from each sheep was
200 mL. RAP
measurements were made at intervals shown in Figure 1, with the
use of Statham pressure transducers (Spectramed Medical Products)
connected to online computer data-integration (Dataflow, Crystal
Biotech).
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Extraction and RIA of ANP, BNP, and NT-proBNP
Plasma (3 mL) was extracted on solid-phase
C18 cartridges (SepPak, Waters) as described
previously.14 The recovery of synthetic ANP and BNP added
to plasma with the use of this method is >85%. To estimate the
recovery of ovine NT-proBNP,
15 pmol of immunoreactive NT-proBNP
(purified from ovine plasma by high-performance liquid
chromatography, HPLC) was added to charcoal-stripped
plasma and extracted. The recovery of NT-proBNP (based on
immunoreactive levels) was 47±5% (n=5). Immunoreactive levels of
ovine ANP6 and BNP26 (identical to porcine
BNP26)14 were measured as previously described.
Immunoreactive NT-proBNP was measured as previously
reported16 but with a later antiserum bleed. The
cross-reactivity was: human (h) BNP32, hNT-proBNP(62-76),
hNT-proANP(1-30), ovine NT-proANP(1-30), porcine (p) BNP26, pBNP32,
hANP, hCNP22, and endothelin-1, all <0.1%. The assay had a mean zero
binding of 40.5±0.6%, nonspecific binding (with the use of assay
buffer) of 3.0±0.1%, a detection limit of 2.3±0.1 fmol/tube (7.4
pmol/L), and an IC50 (concentration displacing
50% of tracer) of 82.1±1.4 fmol/tube (273 pmol/L) over 16 consecutive
assays. Within-assay coefficients of variation over 15 consecutive
assays were 5% at 1360 pmol/L, 10% at 448 pmol/L, and 9% at 173
pmol/L. The interassay coefficient of variation was 9% at 428
pmol/L.
Analysis of immunoreactive forms was undertaken by size exclusion HPLC (SEHPLC) with the use of a TSK G3000SW column (Toya Soda), as previously described.14
Deconvolution Analysis of Plasma Hormone
Measurements
We used a well-described model of hormone secretion and
elimination21 22 defined by the following convolution
integral: C(t)=
S(z) ·
E(t-z) dz, where C(t) is
the concentration of hormone at any instant in time t,
S(z) is the amount of hormone secreted per unit distribution
volume per unit time at time z, and
E(t-z) is the amount of hormone elimination
(t1/2) that occurs in the time interval
(t-z). Natriuretic peptide
concentrations were subjected to a least-squares fit to the convolution
integral described above and the half-life calculated from this. In the
present study, secretion was approximated as a gaussian
distribution with a continuous "baseline" component; elimination
proceeded through a 1-compartment model. Secretion of BNP and NT-proBNP
were simultaneously computed because previous research from
our laboratory14 16 indicates that ovine cardiac
tissue contains proBNP only, that is, there should be a 1:1 formation
of BNP and NT-proBNP at any secretion time t, but each
fragment will have a different circulating t1/2. ANP was
analyzed alone because it derives from a separate gene
product1 2 and does not display the same plasma
concentration profile as BNP in experimental cardiac
overload.23
Statistical Analysis
All data derived from deconvolution analysis are
presented as mean±SEM (n=4). Increases in plasma hormone
levels and RAP from baseline (mean of -30-minute and 0-minute values)
achieved during pacing (mean of 15-, 30-, 45-, and 60-minute values)
were tested for significance by means of a paired t
test.
| Results |
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Deconvolution Analysis of Natriuretic
Peptide Concentrations
Calculated secretion and elimination profiles are given in Figure 2. During pacing in all 4 sheep, the time
point of maximum NT-proBNP and BNP secretion (average 38.2±3.6
minutes;
5.8 pmol ·
min-1) was later but not
significantly different from the time of maximal ANP secretion (average
30.5±4.5 minutes;
45.0 pmol ·
min-1, Figure 2A).
Further, BNP and NT-proBNP were calculated to be secreted in equimolar
amounts. By the end of the pacing period, BNP and NT-proBNP secretion
had fallen to
45% of the peak value, whereas ANP secretion had
returned to baseline levels (Figure 2A). Elimination curves
(t1/2) for NT-proBNP, BNP, and ANP are shown in Figure 2B. The calculated half-lives (mean±SEM) for each of the
peptides were NT-proBNP, 69.6±10.8 minutes; BNP, 4.8±1.0 minutes; and
ANP, 11.9±2.7 minutes. On the basis of these calculations, the
t1/2 for NT-proBNP is
15-fold longer than that of mature BNP
and 6-fold longer than mature ANP.
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SEHPLC Analysis of Immunoreactive NT-proBNP, BNP, and
ANP Forms
Extracts of plasma drawn at peak secretion were pooled from all 4
sheep and subjected to size-exclusion HPLC. Immunoreactive NT-proBNP
eluted as a single sharp peak consistent with the monomer (MR
8000),16 with no evidence of smaller forms (data not
shown). In contrast, BNP was shown to comprise 2 distinct peaks
consistent with BNP-26like and BNP-29like
materials.14 A peak corresponding to authentic
ANP was
also seen with evidence of additional smaller molecular forms, possibly
ANP101-126 or
ANP103-1266 (data not shown).
| Discussion |
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The concentration curves (Figure 1) suggest that the time course of increases in plasma BNP and ANP in response to acute cardiac pacing is similar. However, deconvolution analysis (Figure 2) revealed that a prompt increase in ANP secretion had returned to baseline levels before the cessation of pacing despite sustained increases in RAP. This observation confirms previous reports on the time course of ANP secretion in vitro25 29 30 and is consistent with rapid depletion of a "stretch-sensitive pool" of ANP.29 30 31 ANP and BNP have been colocalized in human,32 rat,33 and porcine34 cardiac myocytes, and it may be that some of the observed increases in plasma ANP, NT-proBNP, and BNP in the present study are derived from corelease from a single class of cardiac myocyte granule. Thus, it is possible that the concept of a readily releasable pool of atrial ANP for stretch-induced release29 30 may also apply to colocalized BNP within secretory granules.
In contrast with ANP, BNP secretion continued for longer during pacing
and was
45% peak maximum at the completion of pacing. The molar
ratio of BNP to ANP at peak secretion (1:8) is higher than that found
with respect to stored hormone content extracted from the normal ovine
atrium14 (BNP/ANP ratio 1:30), raising the possibility
that the BNP secretion observed here is augmented by enhanced BNP gene
synthesis. It is of interest to note that atrial BNP mRNA transcripts
increase within 1 hour of stimulus,24 25 28 whereas
increases in ANP mRNA are not observed until 3 to 4 hours. The
signaling mechanisms controlling this early response profile of cardiac
BNP gene expression are unclear but may be related to the hypertrophic
stabilization of BNP mRNA26 and its putative functional
linkage to the protein kinase C signaling pathway.27 28
Such a differential response in gene expression could account for the
longer duration of BNP secretion as well as the enhanced BNP-to-ANP
ratio of peak secretion compared with that found in hormone stores.
Similar analysis of secretion over a longer time period (eg, 3
to 4 hours of sustained pacing) coupled with sequential cardiac tissue
sampling for natriuretic peptide transcript
analysis is needed to clarify the underlying mechanism of these
changes.
The response of plasma natriuretic peptide levels to cardiac pacing, as previously reported,23 35 36 varies according to pacing rate, duration, and experimental design, but a proportionately greater increase of ANP than BNP is a consistent feature of short-term studies. Previous studies23 of the acute effects of incremental pacing in conscious sheep have shown that the rate of response (as assessed by the first significant increase in hormone level above time matched control data) was similar for both ANP and BNP. In marked contrast, the response of plasma BNP to acute pacing in anesthetized dogs is markedly delayed19 20 and apparently not increased compared with control animals despite the development of acute heart failure. The present study, in normal conscious sheep, with the use of a species-specific BNP RIA shows that peripheral plasma concentrations of both BNP and ANP increase (7- and 8-fold, respectively) during acute cardiac challenge. Associated with a 3-fold increase in RAP, deconvolution analysis indicates that secretion rates of ANP, and BNP or NT-proBNP, increase 15- and 6-fold, respectively, similar in proportion to previous measurements of secretion in the isolated rat heart.24 The failure to detect evidence of increased BNP secretion during cardiac pacing in dogs19 and humans1 2 may reflect variations in time of sampling, anesthetic use-and in the case of humans-the longer half-life of BNP, which will affect the kinetics of plasma hormone peak response to stimulation.
The higher concentration of ovine NT-proBNP (compared with BNP) seen in
the basal and stimulated (pacing) states is likely to be the result of
delayed clearance and the much longer half-life (15-fold that of BNP).
Previous experiments from our laboratory16 have shown that
NT-proBNP levels are significantly elevated within 3 hours of
coronary artery ligation. Taken together with the present
results, it appears that significant elevations in NP-proBNP levels can
occur within 1 to 3 hours of sustained (
1 hour) cardiac
production. As reported previously,16 the
much-prolonged half-life of NT-proBNP compared with ANP and BNP in
sheep is likely to be related to low (if any) affinity for the 2 major
natriuretic peptide degradation pathways-NPR-C and NEP.
These findings, together with our current observations that NT-proBNP
secretion in sheep closely parallels that of BNP in response to acute
cardiac overload, underline the physiological basis
for NT-proBNP assays as markers of left ventricular
dysfunction17 and prognosis after acute myocardial
infarction18 in humans.
The current study has confirmed that ovine plasma NT-proBNP is of a
high molecular weight, possibly NT-pro-BNP 1-74,16 with no
evidence of smaller forms. However, in the case of both BNP and ANP,
smaller forms were observed when extracts were analyzed by
HPLC. The precise identity of these forms is not yet clear but most
likely represent BNP(78-103) (BNP 26) and
BNP(75-103) (BNP 29) and
ANP101-126 or
ANP103-126.6 Although it cannot be
conclusively stated that these latter forms are products of
secretion rather than metabolites, they may have different affinities
for NEP and NPR-C. Infusion studies in sheep37 report
half-lives of 2.5 and 4 minutes for BNP and ANP, respectively, yet
half-lives calculated by deconvolution analysis in this report
were
2-fold (BNP, 4.8 minutes) and 3-fold (ANP, 11.9 minutes)
higher. The discrepancy may arise from the fact that infusion studies
use a single species of BNP or ANP, for example, BNP26 or
ANP,
whereas in the present study, multiple immunoreactive forms may
contribute to the t1/2 calculations for BNP and ANP.
Unfortunately, the unavailability of purified or synthetic ovine
NT-proBNP, sufficient for infusion studies, precludes direct
measurement of its disappearance rate or metabolism in
vivo.
In summary, we have provided the first report of the in vivo secretion and elimination characterizations of cardiac natriuretic peptides by using the powerful technique of deconvolution analysis. The analysis shows that both BNP and ANP secretion increase rapidly in response to acute cardiac overload but, in contrast to the progressive increase in RAP, this secretion-especially that of ANP-is not sustained. Whereas both BNP and NT-proBNP are secreted simultaneously and in equimolar amounts, the half-life of NT-proBNP is 15-fold greater than that of BNP. Taken together, the findings suggest a role for BNP early in the development of acute heart failure and support the use of plasma NT-proBNP measurements as a stable and sensitive marker of cardiac function, including early cardiac decompensation.
| Acknowledgments |
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Received September 14, 1999; first decision October 28, 1999; accepted March 21, 2000.
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