Atrial Natriuretic Factor

ANF is a naturally occuring peptide found in heart muscle which regulates its force of contraction. Manipulation of ANF promises great therapeutic benefits in heart failure and hypertension which are major cases of morbidity in the developed world. The initial chapters describe the molecular analysis of the ANF gene, the release, distribution and molecular forms of ANF and its involvement in various physiological processes. These are followed by chapters on the potential clinical role of ANF in heart failure and hypertension. Recent developments with the newly discovered atriopeptidase inhibitors are also described