VESSEL DILATOR ENHANCES SODIUM AND WATER-EXCRETION AND HAS BENEFICIALHEMODYNAMIC-EFFECTS IN PERSONS WITH CONGESTIVE-HEART-FAILURE

Background-Vessel dilator, a 37-amino acid peptide hormone synthesized in the heart, enhances urine flow 4- to 12-fold and sodium excretion 3- to 6-fold in healthy humans. The present investigation was designed to determine whether vessel dilator might have similar beneficial eff ects in persons with congestive heart failure (CHF). Methods and Resul ts-Vessel dilator (100 ng/kg body weight per minute) given intravenous ly for 60 minutes to NYHA class III CHF subjects increased urine flow 2- to 13-fold, which was still increased (P<0,001) 3 :hours after its infusion was stopped. Vessel dilator enhanced sodium excretion 3- to 4 -fold in CHF subjects (P<0.01), which was still significantly (P<0,01) elevated 3 hours after infusion. Vessel dilator decreased systemic va scular resistance 24%, pulmonary vascular resistance 25%, pulmonary ca pillary wedge pressure 33%, and central venous pressure 27% while incr easing cardiac output 34%, cardiac index 35%, and stroke volume index 24% without significantly affecting heart rate or pulmonary artery pre ssure in the CHF subjects. The control CHF patients did not have any c hanges in the above parameters. Conclusions-These results indicate tha t vessel dilator has significant beneficial diuretic, natriuretic, and hemodynamic properties in humans with congestive heart failure.