Auricular Catecholamine Content in Ischaemic Heart Disease

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The noradrenaline (NA) content (mean .+-. SD) of tissue samples from the right atrial appendage in 19 patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD) was 2.81 .+-. 0.94 .mu.g/g and in 7 patients with valvular heart disease (VHD) 2.79 .+-. 1.12 .mu.g/g. In 10 patients with uncomplicated atrial septal defect (ASD) the NA content was 1.64 .+-. 0.32 .mu.g/g and in 11 patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) 0.75 .+-. 0.41 .mu.g/g. The difference in NA content between the IHD group and the ASD and CHF groups is significant (P < 0.001). Small amounts of adrenaline and dopamine were found in all groups. There was no significant correlation between auricular NA content and either systemic diastolic blood pressure, age, or left ventricular end-diastolic pressure. The relatively high level of NA in the IHD group is assumed to be a contributory factor in the intracellular metabolic as well as in the systemic changes typical of ischemia and infarction.