Bioactivity and interactions of adrenomedullin and brain natriuretic peptide in patients with heart failure

What Was Tested

The paper reports a study of BNP (Nesiritide) and Adrenomedullin, published as a randomized controlled trial.

Plasma concentrations of the recently discovered hormones adrenomedullin (ADM), from vascular tissue, and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), secreted by myocardium, are elevated in patients with heart failure.

The researchers tested the hypotheses that short-term increments in circulating levels of these hormones, within the pathophysiological range, would have biological effects and that the 2 hormone systems interact.

Who Took Part

By PubMed's age tags, the people studied were middle-aged adults and older adults, men only.

How the Study Was Run

The design is described as randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled and crossover.

Because people in this BNP (Nesiritide) study were split into groups at random, differences between the groups are less likely to reflect who happened to join each one.

Only one side, usually the participants, was kept unaware of whether BNP (Nesiritide) was given.

The comparison arm used a placebo, so changes seen with BNP (Nesiritide) could be set against what happens without it.

In the crossover set-up each of the participants took both BNP (Nesiritide) and the comparison in turn, acting as their own control.

What Was Measured

The researchers tested the hypotheses that short-term increments in circulating levels of these hormones, within the pathophysiological range, would have biological effects and that the 2 hormone systems interact.

BNP and ADM infusions raised plasma levels of the respective peptide within the pathophysiological range.

The subject headings attached to it are Adrenomedullin, Blood Pressure, Cardiac Output, Low, Diuresis, Drug Combinations, Drug Interactions and Echocardiography.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, single-blind and placebo-controlled study of BNP (Nesiritide) and Adrenomedullin.

The publication is from 1999 (Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. : 1979)), a journal based in United States.

More context: the BNP (Nesiritide) compound page and the Adrenomedullin compound page, all human trials.