PLASMA ADRENALINE, NORADRENALINE AND DOPAMINE IN PREGNANCY HYPERTENSION

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The resting plasma adrenaline [epinephrine, E], noradrenaline [norepinephrine, NE] and dopamine were measured in 9 hypertensive women and 7 normotensive women in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy on 2 successive days. The mean plasma E concentrations on the 2 days in the hypertensive women (442 and 298 pg/ml) were significantly higher than in the normotensive women (43.9 and 61.6 pg/ml). The mean plasma E concentrations in the hypertensive women (232 and 274 pg/ml) were higher than in the normotensive women (48 and 110 pg/ml) and the difference was significant on day 1 but not day 2. The mean plasma dopamine concentrations in the hypertensive women (98.6 and 62.1 pg/ml) were higher than in the normotensive women (23.2 and 26.0 pg/ml) and the difference was significant on day 1 but not day 2. The plasma E/NE ratios were significantly increased in the hypertensive compared with the normotensive women on both days. Sympathetic nervous system activity may be increased in some women with hypertension in pregnancy.