ABSTRACT. Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) is important in the modulation of hemodynamics and fluid balance in the mature subject, but its hemodynamic effects at early stages of morphogenesis are not defined. We studied the effect of rat atriopeptin 111 on hemodynamics in chick embryos at Hamburger-Hamilton stage 21. The cardiovascular system is not yet innervated, nor is the kidney formed in these embryos. The vitelline arterial and venous blood pressures were measured with a servo-null, micro-pressure system and the dorsal aortic blood flow was measured with a 20 M H z pulsed Doppler velocity meter. The peptide was infused into the vitelline vein with a microinjector at doses of 0.1, 1.0, and 10 ng. Doses normalized by body wt of embryos averaged 0.003, 0.035, and 0.32 ng/mg (n = 61), respectively. Vitelline arterial blood pressure decreased in a dose dependent manner [y = 55.8 -9 . 9~; r = -0.49; p < 0.01 (y = % of baseline, x = log ng/mg)], and dorsal aortic blood flow, a measure of cardiac output, decreased similarly (y = 39.6 -1 6 . 2~; r = -0.47; p < 0.01). Heart rate did not change. Ten ng of ANP increased the vitelline venous diameter, determined directly under a microscope, from 125 + 47 (SD) pm to 139 f 49 pm (n = 11; p < 0.01), and decreased vitelline venous pressure from 0.34 f 0.05 mm Hg to 0.10 + 0.07 mm Hg (n = 5). We conclude that ANP exerts its hemodynamic effect by direct venodilation in the noninnervated and anephric circulation. We speculate that ANP modulation of vascular tone and volume could be a mechanism for the regulation of the preinnervated embryonic cardiovascular system. (Pediatr Res 27: 557-560,1990) Abbreviations ANP, atrial natriuretic peptide ANP is important in the regulation of hemodynamics and fluid balance (1-3). In mature subjects, the hemodynamic actions of ANP can be influenced by both neurohumoral reflexes and diuresis (4-7); therefore, its precise mechanism of action has not been completely defined. During the early stages of development, the cardiovascular system is not innervated (8) and the kidneys are not developed (9). Thus, an investigation of the effect of ANP in this unique model would provide information on the direct vascular effects of this cardiovascular peptide. In addition, it is not known whether the cardiovascular system responds to this potent vasoactive substance during the early period of morpho- genesis. Therefore, we studied the effect of ANP on blood pressure and cardiac output in chick embryos at early developmental stages. We found that the atrial natriuretic factor had a dose dependent effect on embryonic hemodynamics, decreasing cardiac output and arterial blood pressure through direct venodilation and venous pooling.
MATERIALS AND METHODSA total of 84 white Leghorn chick embryos at HamburgerHamilton stage 21 (10) were used. Hemodynamic parameters were obtained by the method reported by Clark and Hu (1 I). Briefly, the vitelline artery or vein was punctured with a microglass pipette that was connected to a servo-null micro-pressure system (W-P...