Atrial natriuretic factor has a weak insulinotropic action in the isolated perfused rat pancreas.

The effect of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF; 1, 10, 100, 1000 pmol/l) on insulin release from the isolated perfused rat pancreas was studied. ANF weakly augmented the glucose (10 mmol/l)-stimulated insulin release during the second (controls: 100%; 1 pmol/l: 99%; 10 pmol/l: 149%, P less than 0.05; 100 pmol/l: 111%; 1000 pmol/l 135%), but not the first phase of the secretory response. In contrast, the first, but not the second phase of arginine (10 mmol/l)-stimulated insulin release was significantly enhanced by ANF (1000 pmol/l; controls: 100%; 1000 pmol/l: 235%, P less than 0.05). The hormone did not influence basal insulin secretion. Our data indicate an insulinotropic effect of ANF on the rat pancreas, which is dependent on the utilized background secretagogues.