Since the identification of the first natriuretic peptide, ANP, from the atrium of the heart, thirty years have passed and clinical applications have been achieved in ANP⋅BNP/GC-A system. In contrast with the distribution of the ANP⋅BNP/GC-A system as the endocrine system, the CNP/GC-B system is distributed as the paracrine/autocrine system.
In order to assess physiological rolls of the CNP/GC-B system, we have developed tissue –specific knockout mice using the Cre-Lox-P system. Here, we present results of both CNP knockout mice and GC-B knockout mice in the brain, bone and cardiovascular system and discuss the possible physiological and pathophysiological implications of the CNP/GC-B system.