Atrial natriuretic factor in central nervous system regulatory mechanisms: effect of experimental alterations in water and salt homeostasis and blood pressure.

Concentrations of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) were measured in discrete brain nuclei by radioimmunoassay in rats. Alterations in the salt and fluid homeostasis and aldosterone treatment resulted in marked changes of ANF levels in the preoptic-hypothalamic periventricular structures including the organum vasculosum laminae terminalis, in the subfornical organ and the perifornical nucleus. Furthermore, marked changes were observed in ANF levels of these nuclei in various types of renal hypertensions. Altered ANF levels were found in several brain nuclei (locus coeruleus, dorsal raphe nucleus, tegmentum pontis, nucleus of the solitary tract) of animals with diabetes insipidus or spontaneous hypertension.