title: Plasma catecholamines and modes of delivery: the relation between catecholamine levels and in-vitro platelet aggregation and adrenoreceptor radioligand binding characteristics.
abstract: Catecholamines were measured in maternal venous, and mixed umbilical cord blood. Maternal catecholamines were significantly (P less than 0.01) reduced by epidural analgesia with a 36% reduction in noradrenaline and a 33% reduction in adrenaline. Fetal catecholamines were elevated at birth with a 3-8 fold increase in noradrenaline but not adrenaline during spontaneous vaginal delivery. The lowest fetal catecholamines were obtained in the group delivered under epidural analgesia; lower plasma catecholamines were not associated with adverse respiratory effects. Fetal platelets showed impaired alpha 2-adrenoceptor function with absent aggregatory responses to adrenaline in vitro. The defect in platelet function was unlikely to be related to changes in the number of fetal platelet alpha-receptors or to changes in receptor affinity for adrenaline, as fetal platelets failed to aggregate to adrenaline from deliveries with high and low cord blood catecholamines.
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McCullouch
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Butters
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Hamilton
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Rubin
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Reid
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000767:Anesthesia, Epidural; D000768:Anesthesia, General; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000378:metabolism; D002585:Cesarean Section; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000097:blood* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007743:Labor, Obstetric; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000097:blood*; D010974:Platelet Aggregation; D011247:Pregnancy; D011942:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D011942:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha; D009638:Norepinephrine; D004837:Epinephrine