Objective-To study the possible pathophysiological implications of long continucd dietary sodium restriction in pregnancy. Design-Longitudinal prospcctive randomized study of the effects of a low sodium diet compared with unrestricted sodium intakc in prcgnancy. of Rcproduction T. K. A . B. ESKES Professor P. R. HEIN Senior Lc,ctrirer in Obstetrics promptcd by thc belief that excessive retention of sodium and water is the main cause of prceclampsia and eclampsia in particular (Cramer 1906; Dc Snoo 1Y37).

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Synthesis and secretion of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) is not confined to the heart, but also present in other tissues. ANP is known to affect steroidogenesis in the ovary. To assess the possibilities that (a) the human ovary is a source of ANP secretion as well, and (b) ovarian ANP stimulates progesterone secretion, we investigated ANP as well as progesterone concentrations in preovulatory ovarian follicular fluid from women in an in vitro fertilization program. In all women detectable ANP immunoreactivity was found in ovarian follicular fluid (range 3.3–60.1 pg/ml). Follicular fluid concentrations were low in all but 1 woman who demonstrated a higher ANP level in follicular fluid than in plasma. Follicular ANP and progesterone concentrations were not significantly correlated. These preliminary results suggest that the ovary could well be a site of ANP secretion. If and how ovarian ANP activity affects progesterone secretion remains as yet unknown.

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