title: Sources of urinary catecholamines in renal denervated transplant recipients.
abstract: When a human kidney is transplanted, sympathetic nerves to that kidney are cut. We infused 3H-noradrenaline and then measured noradrenaline, dopamine and 3H-noradrenaline levels in the plasma and urine of renal transplant recipients and uninephrectomized control subjects. Less than 10% of 3H-noradrenaline cleared from the plasma appeared in the urine. Noradrenaline and dopamine appeared in the urine of transplant recipients at one-third the rate of control subjects, even though 3H-noradrenaline levels were slightly higher in the urine of transplant recipients. Transplant patients had a noradrenaline clearance of 128 +/- 50 ml/min, compatible with simple glomerular filtration, while controls had a higher calculated clearance of 229 +/- 41 ml/min. Plasma dopamine levels were very low compared with urinary dopamine. These results suggest that two-thirds of renal noradrenaline and dopamine depend on the presence of renal nerves. Almost all urinary dopamine comes from the kidney. For noradrenaline, urinary excretion is a very minor pathway for clearance from the plasma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego Medical Center 92103.
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Ziegler
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Morrissey
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kennedy
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Elayan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine*; D005260:Female; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000294:innervation*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009638:Norepinephrine; D012083:Renin / Q000097:blood; D014316:Tritium
chemical_list: D002395:Catecholamines; D014316:Tritium; D012083:Renin; D009638:Norepinephrine