F. Kruck It is a great pleasure for me to welcome you to the workshop on Natriuretic Hormone here in Bonn. For quite a long time we have been considering the possibility of assem bling scientists who are concerned with and interested in the problem of a possible humoral natriuretic activity. Work has been done on this topic in different parts of the world, partially with different methods and sometimes also with different and contlict ing results. And thus we thought it could be very beneficial to have personal discussions with all of you so as to reach a consensus of opinion on how studies should be contin ued. In spite of the current fmancial shortCOmings, common to most of the countries you are living in, we felt it necessary to use all the money we were granted for our research work in clinicopharmacologic studies to organize this meeting. And so we did. Thanks to the help of different pharmaceutical companies we were able to defer the travel ex penses and costs for hotel accomodation for the speakers. Thus this meeting is not going to be a luxurious one, but rather a meeting for working and especially for discussions. And now by way of opening this workshop, lowe you a few explanations.

Session I Chairman

Acute Hypophysectomy - a Model for the Study of Hormonal Mechanisms of Natriuresis
Central Volume Receptors and Regulation of the Extracellular Fluid Volume
An Inhibitor of Sodium Transport in the Urine of Dogs and Humans with Normal Renal Function - a Study of Chronically Expanded Subjects
Antinatriferic and Natriuretic Activities in Human Plasma Following Acute and Chronic Salt-Loading
Further Observations on the Natriuretic Substances Occurring in the Urine of Normal Humans
Session II Chairman
A Critical Analysis of Sodium Retention Factors in Cirrhosis of the Liver
Antinatriferic Plasma Activity in Edematous States with Special Reference to Congestive Cardiac Failure
The Humoral Control of Saline Natriuresis
The Possible Role of Prostaglandins in the Natriuresis of Acutely Saline- Loaded Rats
The Role of Renal Kallikrein in Diuresis and Natriuresis
Renal Origin of a Natriuretic Material: Some Chemical Properties
Session III Chairman
The Effect of Natriuretic Material Isolated from Urine of ECF-Expanded Subjects on (Na + K) ATPase of Rat Kidney Fraction
Mechanism of Action of Natriuretic Hormone: Inhibitor of Na-K-ATPase
Natriuretic Factor in Chronic Uremia
Column Chromatography of Plasma Antinatriferic Activity
General Discussion.