Mechanism of relaxations to c-type natriuretic peptide in veins. Banks, Michelle, Chi-Ming Wei, Cheol H. Kim, John C. Burnett, Jr., and Virginia M. Miller. Departments of Surgery and Physiology and Biophysics and the Cardiorenal Research Laboratory, Mayo Clinic and Foundation, Rochester, MN
APStracts 3:0176H, 1996.
C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) is an endothelium-derived peptide which shares structural homology with atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP). CNP causes greater endothelium-independent relaxations in veins compared to arteries. Relaxations to CNP in porcine coronary arteries are mediated by hyperpolarization of the smooth muscle membrane. Experiments were designed to investigate the mechanism(s) by which CNP causes relaxation in canine femoral veins. Rings of canine femoral veins without endothelium were suspended for measurement of isometric force in organ chambers. Concentration -response curves to CNP were obtained in veins contracted with either endothelin-1 (10-8M), KCl (40mM), phenylephrine (10-6M) or prostaglandin F2[alpha] (2x10-6M) in the absence and presence of BQ 123 (10-6M), NG-monomenthyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA; 10-4M), HS-142-1 (10 -5M), methylene blue (10-5M), or potassium channel blockers, tetraethylammonium chloride (TEA; 10-3M), charybdotoxin (10-7M), glibenclamide (10-7M), or apamin (10-7M). Relaxations to CNP were significantly attenuated when the tissue was contracted with KCl and endothelin-1. During contraction to either phenylephrine or prostaglandin F2[alpha], relaxations to CNP were inhibited by HS-142 -1, methylene blue, TEA and charybdotoxin, but not by L-NMMA, glibenclamide or apamin. In separate experiments, cGMP increased two -fold within 10-60 seconds after the addition of CNP (10-8M). These data suggest that CNP mediates relaxation of canine femoral veins through activation of high conduction calcium activated potassium channels and activation of particulate and soluble guanylate cyclase.

Received 1 March 1995; accepted in final form 15 April 1996.
APS Manuscript Number H199-5.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (Heart Circ. Physiology).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1996 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 1 May 96