Natriuretic Peptide Receptor Type A

Abstract

ANP, BNP and URO bind to NPRA, a transmembranereceptor encoded in Npr1 gene. NPRAactivation leads to a second messenger cascade signalling commanded by cGMP whichtriggers activation of other enzymes such as GKI. Its mRNA is expressed, amongothers, in the heart, kidney, vascular smooth muscle, skeletal muscle,endothelial, adipose and brain tissues, as well as in adrenal, lung and testis.NPRA plays critical physiological and pathophysiological roles on severaltarget cells and tissue system mechanisms, such as cell growth, apoptosis,proliferation and inflammation. It is related to different processes likecancer, hypertension, cardiac remodelling and hypertrophy, atherosclerosis,renal abnormalities, neuroprotection, fat tissue and skeletal muscle metabolism,insulin secretion and hepatoprotection. Although new knowledge havebeen updated in last years, future studies with molecular biology techniqueswill provide complementary insights about how genetic alterations of NPreceptors could be associated to the origin and development of human pathologies.