Specific potentiation by cyclic amp of natriuretic peptide-mediated cyclic GMP production in adipose tissue

Adipose tissue of the mesenteric territory contains large quantities of natriuretic peptide receptors (NPR) mainly of the NPR-C subtype. Guanylyl cyclase-bound receptors are also present since atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) are equally potent in activating this enzyme. While searching for a potential biological role for NP in adipocytes we observed that ANP-mediated generation of cyclic GMP (cGMP) was potentiated when the cells were simultaneously treated with isoproterenol. Indeed, isoproterenol, a β-adrenergic agonist, and forskolin, an activator of adenylyl cyclase, can both double or triple cGMP production in response to ANF stimulation. There was a direct correlation between the level of cyclic AMP (cAMP) generated and the level of NP-mediated cGMP production suggesting that a cAMP-dependent mechanism may be responsible of this potentiation. To determine whether or not this phenomenon was unique to adipocytes, NPR subtypes were characterized in 4 established cell lines and their cAMP-dependent cGMP behavior examined. A10 and A7r5 smooth muscle cells showed identical ratio of NPR subtypes with about 95% NPR-C and 5% NPR-B. PC 12 cells presented 100% NPR-A and NIH 3T3 fibroblasts 50% NPR-C and 50% NPR-B. Regardless of the NPR subtype, forskolin could not potentiate the cGMP generation in these cell lines. These data indicate that the cAMP-dependent potentiation of the NP-mediated cGMP production is unique to adipocytes, appears independent of the guanylyl cyclase-linked NPR subtypes and may be involved in the sensitization of the guanylyl cyclase domain of NPR for a potential biological role of NP in the adipose tissue.