ANP

Atrial Natriuretic Peptide (ANP 99-126 / α-ANP / Carperitide)

Evidence & Status

  • Strong Human Evidence
  • Established

At a Glance

A 28-amino-acid cardiac hormone, discovered in a 1981 rat experiment, released by heart muscle cells in response to elevated pressure and volume. A recombinant human-ANP drug product (carperitide) has been studied in a registered human clinical trial for heart failure.

Plain English

Researchers study ANP (Atrial Natriuretic Peptide) because it's the heart's own blood-pressure-lowering hormone, first identified in a 1981 rat experiment showing that heart-tissue extract could trigger the kidneys to excrete more salt and water. Scientists are interested in how it signals blood vessels to relax and the kidneys to increase excretion, reducing the heart's workload. A recombinant form (carperitide) has been tested in a registered human clinical trial for heart failure. It's important to distinguish ANP from BNP, a related but distinct hormone covered in its own separate entry.

Overview

Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) is a 28-amino-acid cardiac hormone secreted by atrial cardiomyocytes in response to atrial wall stretch. In a foundational 1981 rat experiment, intravenous injection of atrial myocardial extract produced a rapid natriuretic response — establishing the heart as an endocrine organ (de Bold et al., 1981); this was a rat study, later extended to purified human ANP, not itself direct human evidence. ANP binds the natriuretic peptide receptor-A (NPR-A) in the kidneys, vasculature, and adrenal glands, producing vasodilation, natriuresis/diuresis, and suppression of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. It contains a characteristic 17-aa disulfide-bonded ring shared with BNP and C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) — BNP is a distinct hormone covered in its own entry, and this record does not carry BNP/nesiritide content. Carperitide, a recombinant human ANP drug product, has been evaluated in a completed randomized Phase II trial in congestive heart failure; a specific claim of current Japanese regulatory approval could not be independently verified in this review and has been removed pending confirmation from an official source.

Research Summary

ANP's discovery — a rapid natriuretic response to atrial extract injection in rats (de Bold et al., 1981) — established the heart as an endocrine organ, a foundational finding later extended to purified human ANP. Its physiology (NPR-A-mediated vasodilation, natriuresis, RAAS suppression) is well characterized. Carperitide, a recombinant human ANP drug product, has been studied in a completed randomized, placebo-controlled Phase II trial (NCT00259038) in congestive heart failure, confirming a direct human clinical-development program; this registry record does not by itself establish an outcomes benefit. A specific claim that carperitide is currently approved in Japan could not be independently verified live in this review and has been removed rather than carried forward unverified. This entry does not include nesiritide (recombinant BNP) content, which belongs to the separate BNP entry.

Research Areas

  • Heart failure
  • Hypertension
  • Cardiac biomarker
  • RAAS regulation
  • Renal sodium handling
  • Cardiovascular physiology

Safety & Risks

Serious Risks

  • Significant hypotension at higher doses; requires hemodynamic monitoring during IV infusion

Reported Side Effects

  • Hypotension (dose-dependent vasodilation)
  • Reflex tachycardia
  • Headache
United States
Not FDA-approved for clinical use; a claim of Japanese approval for carperitide (recombinant human ANP) could not be independently verified in this review
United Kingdom
Not approved; this entry does not include nesiritide (a distinct BNP-derived drug) — see the separate BNP entry
Australia
Not approved for therapeutic use
Canada
Not approved

Citations & Sources