F. Horkay et al., PRESENCE OF IMMUNOREACTIVE ENDOTHELIN-1 AND ATRIAL-NATRIURETIC-PEPTIDE IN HUMAN PERICARDIAL FLUID, Life sciences, 62(3), 1997, pp. 267-274
Citations number
35
Categorie Soggetti
Biology,"Medicine, Research & Experimental","Pharmacology & Pharmacy
This study was undertaken to characterize endothelin-1 (ET-1) and atri
al natriuretic peptide (ANP) concentrations in human pericardial fluid
, blood plasma, right atrial appendage and papillary muscle by use of
specific radioimmunoassays. In patients undergoing cardiac surgery (n=
16) pericardial fluid mean immunoreactive (ir-) ET-I and ir-ANP levels
were 36-fold and 4-fold higher than corresponding plasma levels, resp
ectively. In high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) pericardial
fluid ir-ET-1 was indistinguishable from human ET-1[1-21] and the maj
ority of pericardial fluid ir-ANP coeluted with human ANP[99-126]. Atr
ial tissue ir-ET-l and ir-ANP concentrations were 17-fold and 870-fold
higher than in ventricular tissue. Our present study demonstrated for
the first time the presence of ir-ET-l in the pericardial fluid in hu
mans. Human pericardial fluid contained far the highest concentrations
of ET-1 among all biological fluids tested thus far. The functions of
pericardial fluid ET-I and ANP on cardiac performance and coronary va
scular tone require further investigations.