Endogenous natriuretic peptides participate in renal and humoral actions of acute vasopeptidase inhibition in experimental mild heart failure

Mild heart failure is characterized by increases in atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) in the absence of activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS). Vasopeptidase (VP) inhibitors are novel molecules that coinhibit neutral endopeptidase 24.11, which degrades the natriuretic peptides (NPs) and ACE. In a well-characterized canine model of mild heart failure produced by ventricular pacing at 180 bpm for 10 days, we defined the renal and humoral actions of acute VP inhibition with omapatrilat (OMA, n=6) and acute ACE inhibition (n=5) alone with fosinoprilat. We also sought to determine whether the NPs participate in the renal actions of acute VP inhibition by the administration of OMA together with an intrarenal administration of the NP receptor antagonist HS-142-1 (n=5). OMA resulted in a greater natriuretic response than did ACE inhibition in association with increases in plasma cGMP, ANP, BNP, urinary cGMP, urinary ANP excretion, and glomerular filtration rate (P<0.05 for OMA versus ACE inhibition). Plasma renin activity was increased only in the group subjected to ACE inhibition. Administration of intrarenal HS-142-1 attenuated the renal properties of OMA in association with a decrease in urinary cGMP excretion despite similar increases in plasma ANP and BNP. This study provides new insight into a unique new pharmacological agent that has beneficial renal actions in experimental mild heart failure beyond the actions that are observed with ACE inhibition alone and that are linked to the NP system.