Description
Pharmacological and gene ablation studies have demonstrated a crucial role of the caridac natriuretic peptides (NP) hormones ANF and BNP in the maintenance of cardiovascular homeostasis. Considerable effort has been focused on the elucidation of the mechanistic underlying increased atrial ANF and BNP expression and secretion. These investigations are important because under chronic congestive heart failure, the secretion of NPs although increased and beneficial, is relatively insufficient as demonstrated by the fact that patients benefit form the unloading of the heart induced by therapeutic administration of either ANF or BNP.