Elevation of plasma neuropeptide Y levels in congestive heart failure.
OBJECTIVE
Our objectives were to assess whether plasma neuropeptide Y (NPY) levels are elevated in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) and whether or not NPY levels can serve as a reliable indicator of sympathetic activity in CHF.


METHODS
Plasma levels of the sympathetic neurotransmitters norepinephrine and epinephrine and of the sympathetic co-transmitter NPY were measured in 17 patients with CHF and 14 healthy control subjects at rest and after maximal exercise.


RESULTS
Under resting conditions, plasma NPY and norepinephrine levels were elevated in patients with CHF compared with control subjects (551 +/- 48 pg/ml versus 311 +/- 22 pg/ml, p less than or equal to 0.001 for NPY, and 306 +/- 73 pg/ml versus 124 +/- 22 pg/ml, p less than or equal to 0.02 for norepinephrine). Plasma NPY correlated better with plasma norepinephrine than with epinephrine, indicating its origin from sympathetic nerve terminals. Acute stimulation of sympathetic activity by dynamic exercise increased plasma norepinephrine levels in control subjects and patients with CHF, but did not significantly alter the mean plasma NPY value in the latter group.


CONCLUSIONS
NPY may play a role in the pathophysiology of CHF.
Maisel
A S
AS
Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego.
Scott
N A
NA
Motulsky
H J
HJ
Michel
M C
MC
Boublik
J H
JH
Rivier
J E
JE
Ziegler
M
M
Allen
R S
RS
Brown
M R
MR
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000097:blood*; D005080:Exercise Test; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009478:Neuropeptide Y / Q000097:blood*; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000097:blood*; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology
D009478:Neuropeptide Y; D009638:Norepinephrine; D004837:Epinephrine