Atrial natriuretic peptide attenuates agonist-induced pulmonary edema in mice with targeted disruption of the gene for natriuretic peptide receptor-A

Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) inhibits agonist-induced pulmonary edema formation, but the signaling pathway responsible is not well defined. To investigate the role of the particulate guanylate cyclase-linked receptor, natriuretic peptide receptor-A (NPR-A), we measured acute lung injury responses in intact mice and pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (PMVEC) with normal and disrupted expression of NPR-A. NPR-A wild-type (NPR-A+/+), heterozygous (NPR-A+/-), and knockout (NPR-A-/-) mice were anesthetized and treated with thrombin receptor agonist peptide (TRAP) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Lung injury was assessed by lung wet-to-dry (W/D) weight and by protein and cell concentration of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid. No difference in pulmonary edema formation was seen between NPR-A genotypes under baseline conditions. TRAP and LPS increased lung W/D weight and BAL fluid cell counts more in NPR-A-/- mice than in NPR-A+/- or NPR-A+/+ mice, but no genotype-related differences were seen in TRAP-induced increases in bloodless lung W/D weight or LPS-induced increases in BAL protein concentration. Pretreatment with ANP infusion completely blocked TRAP-induced increases in lung W/D weight and blunted LPS-induced increases in BAL cell counts and protein concentration in both NPR-A-/- and NPR-A+/+ mice. Thrombin decreased transmembrane electrical resistance in monolayers of PMVECs in vitro, and this effect was attenuated by ANP in PMVECs isolated from both genotypes. Administration of the NPR-C-specific ligand, cANF, also blocked TRAP-induced increases in lung W/D weight and LPS-induced increases in BAL cell count and protein concentration in NPR-A+/+ and NPR-A-/- mice. We conclude that ANP is capable of attenuating agonist-induced lung edema in the absence of NPR-A. The protective effect of ANP on agonist-induced lung injury and pulmonary barrier function may be mediated by NPR-C.