ARTERIOVENOUS DIFFERENCES OF THE NOREPINEPRINE-LIKE MATERIAL FROM NORMAL PLASMA AND INFUSED NOREPINEPHRINE*

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Abstract
A modification of the ethylenediamine method of Weil-Malherbe and Bone was used to compare peripheral arteroivenous (A-V) differences of the material in normal plasma which fluoresces like norepinephrine (NE) with A-V differences of NE added to blood by means of small infusions. This method was shown to be capable of measuring, in plasma, amounts of added NE of the order of reported A-V differences in the normal NE-like material. A significant A-V difference in the NE-like material could not be demonstrated unless a large series of individuals was studied, in which case a small negative difference was found. There was always a significant positive difference of infused NE. It was concluded that the NE-like material in normal plasma either is not NE, or NE is removed from arterial blood by the tissues and added, at a more distal site, to venous blood in approximately the same concentration. Data on hepatic A-V differences are also given.