Natriuretic peptides regulate heart rate and sinoatrial node function by activating multiple natriuretic peptide receptors

Natriuretic peptides, including BNP and CNP, elicit their effects via two guanylyl cyclase-linked receptors denoted NPR-A and NPR-B as well as a third receptor, NPR-C. The relative contributions of these receptors to the overall effects of NPs on heart rate (HR) and sinoatrial node (SAN) function are very poorly understood. The effects of BNP and CNP (10–500 nM) on HR and SAN myocyte spontaneous action potential (AP) firing were studied using wildtype mice and mice lacking functional NPR-C receptors (NPR-C−/−). In basal conditions and 10 nM doses of the β-adrenergic receptor (β-AR) agonist isoproterenol (ISO) BNP and CNP increased HR and AP firing in SAN myocytes. The NPR-C selective agonist cANF (10–500 nM) had no effects in basal conditions, but decreased HR and SAN AP frequency in the presence of ISO. These effects of cANF were completely absent in NPR-C−/− mice. Strikingly, in the presence of 1 μM doses of ISO, BNP and CNP switched to causing decreases in HR and SAN AP frequency. These decreases were not as large as those elicited by cANF and were absent in NPR-C−/− hearts, where BNP instead elicited a further increase in HR. Inhibition of NPR-A with A71915, in the presence of 1 μM ISO, enabled BNP to signal exclusively through NPR-C and to decrease HR as effectively as cANF. Together these data demonstrate that BNP and CNP affect HR and SAN function by activating multiple receptor subtypes. NPR-A/B mediate increases in HR and SAN function, but these effects are opposed by NPR-C, which plays an increasingly important signaling role in the presence of β-AR stimulation.

► BNP and CNP increase heart rate and SAN function via NPR-A/B in basal conditions. ► In 1 μM ISO NPs switch to decreasing HR and SAN function via the NPR-C receptor. ► The negative chronotropic effects of NPs are absent in NPR-C−/− mice. ► The NPR-C receptor counteracts the NPR-A/B effects on SAN activity. ► NP signaling in the SAN is complex and involves multiple receptor subtypes.