Role of atrial natriuretic factor in renal adaptation to variation of salt intake in humans

Abstract

This study was performed to define the extent to which atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) contributes to upregulate salt excretion in subjects eating a high-salt diet. Eight normal volunteers were first studied at low-salt diet (80 mmol NaCl/day); urinary sodium excretion (UNaV) and plasma ANF (PANF) were measured in the basal condition and during stepwise infusion of human alpha-ANF at 2, 4, 8, and 16 ng.min-1.kg-1. Then the same subjects were shifted to a high-salt diet (400 mmol/day), and UNaV and PANF were measured in the new balance condition. At low-salt diet, UNaV averaged 0.069 meq/min, and PANF averaged 21 pg/ml; infusion of human alpha-ANF raised stepwise both UNaV and PANF (means in meq/min and pg/ml, respectively, were 0.177 and 46, 0.218 and 76, 0.360 and 86, and 0.601 and 182). Infusion of ANF caused a progressive fall of plasma aldosterone and plasma renin activity. Mean UNaV and PANF at high-salt diet were 0.301 meq/min and 35 pg/ml. Thus, by increasing experimentally PANF in a low-salt diet condition to the levels occurring physiologically in a high-salt diet condition, a significant rise in UNaV is evoked, which accounts for approximately 50% of the rise of UNaV that is necessary to balance the increased salt intake.