“…Reductions in total ventricular weight, left ventricular weight and right ventricular weight normalized for body weight and reductions in mean arterial blood pressure were also reported in SpragueDawley rats receiving continuous infusions of the synthetic atriopeptin III. 17 It was postulated that the reductions in heart weight were the result of the effect of atriopeptin III on fluid volume by an enhanced passage of fluid from the intramuscular to extra muscular compartment, or dieresis with subsequent alterations to cardiac workload. Dose-related increases in liver weight are commonly observed in repeat-dose toxicity studies performed in rodents, although in dog or other large animal studies, the individual variations and the small numbers of animals used makes assessment of liver weight changes less certain.…”