title: Increased plasma level of substance P in patients with severe congestive heart failure treated with ACE inhibitors.
abstract: The effects of angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitors on circulatory regulating mechanisms in congestive heart failure (CHF) were studied by comparison of plasma levels of catecholamines, neuropeptide Y-like immunoreactivity (NPY-LI), substance P (SP-LI), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP-LI), vasopressin (ADH-LI), atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP-LI) and renin activity (PRA) in patients with severe CHF (NYHA III-IV) with (n = 15) or without (n = 17) ACE inhibitors in addition to digoxin and diuretic therapy. Data were also compared with those for healthy subjects (n = 31) and patients with moderate CHF (NYHA I-II). Catecholamines and NPY-LI were increased to the same extent in both groups with severe CHF. CGRP-LI showed no changes relative to controls in any of the patient groups, and was not affected by ACE inhibitors. The SP-LI level was significantly increased in all patient groups. Patients with severe CHF on ACE inhibition had a SP-LI level of 4.05 +/- 0.79 pmol l-1, compared to a concentration of 2.28 +/- 0.30 pmol l-1 (P less than 0.05) in the patient group with a comparable degree of CHF but without ACE inhibition. In the latter group, an inverse relationship appeared between the SP-LI and the serum sodium levels (r = -0.68, P less than 0.05). The patients with severe CHF who received ACE inhibitors had significantly lower ADH-LI levels than the patients with a comparable degree of CHF who were not treated with ACE inhibitors, while the ANP-LI levels was increased to a similar extent in both groups.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital, Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Valdemarsson
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Edvinsson
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ekman
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hedner
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sjöholm
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor / Q000097:blood; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / Q000097:blood; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000097:blood; D004077:Digoxin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004232:Diuretics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012083:Renin / Q000097:blood; D013373:Substance P / Q000097:blood*; D014667:Vasopressins / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; D002395:Catecholamines; D004232:Diuretics; D014667:Vasopressins; D013373:Substance P; D004077:Digoxin; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor; D012083:Renin; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide