B-type natriuretic peptide enhances mild hypoxia-induced apoptotic cell death in cardiomyocytes. 
In the case of left ventricle remodeling after myocardial infarction, cardiomyocyte apoptosis is attributed to increased cardiac workload by the stimulus such as chronic hypoxia.  B-Type natriuretic peptide, being known as a reliable prognostic of cardiovascular pathology, plays an important role in the myocardial infarction.  However, the action of B-type natriuretic peptide on cardiomyocytes undergoing apoptosis is unclear.  In the present study, B-type natriuretic peptide have exhibited the enhancive effects on the mild hypoxia-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis with the manifestation of facilitating phosphatidylserine evagination and increasing typical fragmented nuclei.  In addition, B-type natriuretic peptide aggravated the dissipation of delta psi(m), the depletion of intracellular ATP and the increase of caspase-3 activity.  8-Bromo-cGMP, which increased cGMP independent of B-type natriuretic peptide, could mimic B-type natriuretic peptide's effects; whereas cGMP-dependent protein kinase inhibitor, Rp-8-br-cGMP inhibited that.  Further study revealed the enhancive effect of BNP on down-regulation of Bcl-2 mRNA expression in the presence of mild hypoxia.  In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that B-type natriuretic peptide aggravated the cardiomyocyte apoptosis by influencing hypoxia-induced mitochondrial death pathway, which is true at least in this oxygen deprivation model; and this effect was partially realized through intracellular cGMP.