Nöropeptidler merkezî sinir sistemi (MSS) psikofizyolojisini açıklamada giderek önem kazanmaktadır. Atrial miyositlerde izole edilen ve hemodinamik bir hormon olarak bilinen atrial natriüretik
peptid (ANP) oldukça geniş bir ekstra kardiyak dağılıma sâhiptir. MSS de, en yoğun bulunduğu yerlerden
biridir. Bir nöromodülatör olarak kortikotropin salgılayıcı faktöre karşı işlev gördüğü öne
sürülen ANP'nin anksiyete üzerine etkileri son zamanlarda önem kazanmıştır. Deneysel çalışmalarda
anksiyolitik ve öğrenme üzerine etkileri bildirilmiş, sınırlı klinik çalışmada antipanik etkisi gözlenmiştir.
ANP'nin stres yanıtı üzerine etkilerinden yola çıkılarak fizyolojik bir antistresör olabileceği ileri sürülmektedir. Burada ANP'nin biyokimyasal ve farmakolojik özellikleri tanımlandıktan sonra
sinir sistemindeki işlevleri psikofizyolojik ve psikofarmakolojik açıdan ele alınacak, ANP'nin anksiyolitik
etkililiği tartışılacaktır.

Neuropeptides are gaining increasing significance in describing the psychophysiology of the central
nervous system. Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), a hormone isolated from atrial myocytes and
known as a hemodynamic hormone, has a very extensive extra-cardiac distribution. In the central
nervous system, ANP binding sites and ANP immunoreactivity have found to be widespread in septum,
hypothalamic nuclei, locus ceruleus, olfactory nuclei, limbic cortex, hippocampus, amygdale
and diencephalic limbic conduction pathways. It has been shown that ANP has a decreasing function
of negative effects of stress hemodynamically and emotionally in stress condition It has been
shown that under stress conditions ANP has an inhibitory role against the negative hemodynamic
and emotional effects of stress It has been shown that in stress conditions ANP decreases the negative
hemodynamic and emotional effects of stress. Asserted to have opposing effects against
corticotrophin-releasing factors as neuromodulators, ANP's activity in anxiety has gained significance
for last two decades. In the studies performed in rodents, it was reported that intracerebroventricular
(ICV) administration of ANP showed anxiolytic like effects, in elevated plus maze test,
open-field test and social interaction tests. In addition to animal experiments, the inhibitor effects
of ANP on sympathetic activation in panic attacks induced by either lactate or CCK-4 has been observed
in limited clinical trials.
It is hypothesized that ANP may be an endogenous antistressor/anxiolytic agent given its effects
on the stress response. In this article, biochemical and pharmacologic features of ANP will be described,
followed by a psychophysiological and psychopharmacologic discussion on its functions on
the nerve system and a further discussion of anxiolytic activity of ANP.