NPPA and Sepsis: Cardiac ANP mRNA increased from 0.24 ± 0.08 to 0.69 ± 0.47 a.u. in male mice (p = 0.05) after sepsis, but remained unchanged in female mice (0.46 ± 0.15 to 0.54 ± 0.27 a.u.; p = 0.90).