Isolated atrial amyloidosis (IAA) is a common localized form of amyloid deposition within the atria
of the aging heart. The main constituents of amyloid fibrils are atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and
the N-terminal part of its precursor form (NT-proANP). An ‘aggregation-prone’ heptapeptide
(
114KLRALLT120) was located within the NT-proANP sequence. This peptide self-assembles into amyloid-like
fibrils in vitro, as electron microscopy, X-ray fiber diffraction, ATR FT-IR spectroscopy and
Congo red staining studies reveal. Consequently, remedies/drugs designed to inhibit the aggregation
tendency of this ‘aggregation-prone’ segment of NT-proANP may assist in prevention/treatment of
IAA, congestive heart failure (CHF) or atrial fibrillation (AF)
(EN)
