Plasma atrial natriuretic peptide concentrations during the normal menstrual cycle in healthy volunteers

ABSTRACT

This study investigated whether the concentration of atrial natriuretic peptide [ANP] changes during the normal menstrual cycle and whether the changes parallel the known fluctuation of aldosterone and female sex hormones or not. Plasma ANP concentrations rose from 19.83 +/- 9.56 [range 10-58 pg/ml] in the menstrual phase to 24.94 +/- 17.21 [range 10-81 pg/ml] in the follicular phase [p = 0.1605] and decreased to 15.04 +/- 8.74 [range 5.8-44 pg/ml] in the luteal phase [p = 0.0067] in 30 normal menstruating healthy volunteers. The reduced level of ANP in the luteal phase could be a compensatory response to the natriuretic effect of the increased progesterone. Aldosterone value was highest when ANP value was lowest