Da. Wigle et al., CHRONIC ETHANOL TREATMENT INCREASES THE CIRCULATING PLASMA-LEVELS OF B-TYPE NATRIURETIC PEPTIDE (BNP-45) IN THE RAT, American journal of hypertension, 6(8), 1993, pp. 719-722
Chronic ethanol ingestion is associated with a number of cardiovascula
r disorders, including stroke, heart failure, and hypertension. Given
that the regulation of A-type natriuretic peptide (ANP) and B-type nat
riuretic peptide (BNP) is known to be altered in both congestive heart
failure and essential hypertension, we have investigated the regulati
on of BNP under the influence of ethanol ingestion. Sprague-Dawley rat
s were given ethanol in drinking fluid for a 6-week period, while a we
ight-matched liquid-restricted group received an equivalent volume of
ethanol-free solution. Plasma BNP levels were increased in ethanol-tre
ated animals relative to both liquid-restricted and normal control gro
ups. No changes in cardiac BNP gene expression were observed, but an i
ncreased trend in atrial tissue BNP levels was evident. No changes in
either the mRNA, tissue, or plasma levels of ANP were evident. These r
esults suggest a differential regulation of natriuretic peptides under
the influence of ethanol, and implicate chronic ethanol ingestion as
a further clinical condition under which the plasma levels of a natriu
retic peptide may be elevated.