Response of immunoreactive antiarrhythmic peptide (IR-AAP) level associated with experimental arrhythmia in rats.

The change in endogenous antiarrhythmic peptide (AAP) levels in serum, heart and kidney from rats under several drug-induced arrhythmias was investigated using a sensitive and specific radioimmunoassay. The extracts from serum, heart and kidney were fractionated by Sephadex G-25 chromatography to obtain a fraction which was found at the same position as that of synthetic AAP. In serum, the immunoreactive (IR)-AAP level increased about threefold under CaCl2-, aconitine- and epinephrine-induced arrhythmias. In heart, the IR-AAP level was doubled by CaCl2, increased 1.4 times by aconitine and decreased by one third by epinephrine. The levels in serum and heart were slightly increased by ADP. The kidney IR-AAP level was not changed under these drug-induced arrhythmias. Considering the previous result that AAP could protect against CaCl2- and aconitine-induced arrhythmias but not against epinephrine-induced arrhythmia, the change in the IR-AAP level in heart coincided with the effect of AAP given to animals under arrhythmia. Quinidine, propranolol and verapamil had no effect on serum IR-AAP level. These results suggested that endogenous AAP in heart worked to suppress certain arrhythmia.