Abstract: A method of treatment of hypertension, congestive heart failure, pulmonary edema, nephrotic syndrome, acute and chronic renal failure, toxemia of pregnancy, hepatic cirrhosis, and/or hyperkalemia. Humans or other mammals are administered an effective amount of peptide(s) consisting of amino acids 1-30 (proANF 1-30), amino acids 31-67 (proANF 31-67) and amino acids 79-98 (i.e., proANF 79-98) of the human sequence of the atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) prohormone. Pharmaceutical compositions include such peptides in an effective concentration within a pharmaceutically acceptable liquid or solid carrier given orally.

Abstract: A method of treating cancer through use of guanosine 3?,5?-cyclic monophosphate (cyclic GMP). Cyclic GMP decreases the number of human breast cancer and prostate adenocarcinoma as well as small-cell and squamous lung cells in culture by 30% (1 ?M), 84% (1 mM), 31% (1 ?M), and 30% (1 ?M), respectively. Cyclic GMP decreases DNA synthesis in human pancreatic, breast, and prostate adenocarcinomas as well as small-cell and squamous cell carcinomas of the lung at its 1 ?M concentration by 51%, 54%, 56%, 50% and 52%, respectively. Cyclic GMP when infused for one week decreases the tumor volume of human pancreatic adenocarcinomas in athymic mice 95% compared to untreated animals with human pancreatic adenocarcinomas.

Abstract: The present invention includes a method of utilizing four peptide hormones to inhibit the growth of cancer(s). A dramatic decrease in the number of human pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells (i.e., the type of cancer with the highest mortality, with patients only surviving four months) was observed responsive to treatment. The application of the invention would be to utilize one or more of these peptide hormones alone and/or in combination to treat cancer. The ability of these peptide hormones to decrease the number of adenocarcinoma cells has implications for adenocarcinomas at other sites in the body with the majority of cancers of the breast, colon and prostate also being adenocarcinomas. Adenocarcinomas also occur in the lung and other tissues. Treatment of a wide variety of cancers in addition to adenocarcinomas is anticipated by the present invention.