Oxytocin (OT) was recently shown to be involved in endocrine and neuroendocrine regulation through receptor-mediated actions exerted on the heart, vasculature, and kidney. Oxytocin is a neuropeptide synthesized primarily in magnocellular neurons in the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei of the hypothalamus, which project to posterior pituitary, median eminence, and several brain regions. Oxytocin is also produced in peripheral tissues, including the heart. In addition, nitric oxide (NO) may be generated constitutively within the heart. This work was performed to verify the role of oxytocin and nitrergic modulation on atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) secretion in primary culture of mice embryo cardiac myocytes. Cardiomyocytes were isolated from Balb C mice embryo and cultivated by 3 days for obtain an optimal basal ANP secretion. After the exchange by a fresh medium containing OT (0.1, 1, 10 and 100 μM), a dose-dependent increase in ANP and nitrate release was observed, suggesting that OT may have a direct stimulatory action on cardiomyocytes and that action may be related to nitric oxide production. Blockage of 10 μM OT-induced ANP release were observed after addiction of 100 μM Compound VI [d(CH2)5, Tyr(Me)2, Thr4, Tyr-NH2(9)]-Ornitin Vasotocin (CVI-OVT), a specific OT antagonist. This antagonist induced a decrease in ANP release when added alone (100 μM), suggesting that OT may act by a tonic inhibitory autocrine mechanism on ANP secretion. A amplification of OT-induced ANP release was observed after addiction of 600 μM N(G) nitro-L-arginine methylester (L-NAME), a NO synthase inhibitor, and 100 μM 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ), a soluble guanylate cyclase inhibitor, suggesting that a nitrergic negative feedback may act restraining the ANP release stimulated by OT.
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