Atrial natriuretic peptide: Regulator of chronic arterial blood pressure

Recent findings in atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) transgenic and gene kno ckout mouse models uncovered a tonic vasodilatory effect of this hormone th at contributes to chronic blood pressure homeostasis. With elevated salt in take, ANP-mediated antagonism of the renin-angiotensin system is essential for blood pressure constancy, suggesting that a deficiency in ANP activity may underlie the etiology of sodium-retaining disorders.