title: [Plasma normetanephrine and metanephrine levels and their relationship to norepinephrine and epinephrine].
abstract: To study the relation of normetanephrine (NM) and metanephrine (M) to norepinephrine (NE) and epinephrine (E), plasma free NM (f-NM), free M (f-M), total NM (t-NM) and total M (t-M) were measured in normal subjects and patients with pheochromocytoma (PHEO), neuroblastoma, Cushing's syndrome, primary aldosteronism and chronic renal failure (CRF) by radioimmunoassay. Plasma f-NE and E were measured by radioenzymatic assay. Both f- and t-NM were high in PHEO, neuroblastoma and CRF. f- and t-M were also high in some patients with PHEO and CRF. Positive correlation was observed not only in f-NE with f-NM and t-NM, but also in f-E with f-M and t-M except for CRF. Although upright posture induced an elevation in f-NE and f-NM, t-NM was unchanged in normal subjects. In patients with PHEO, metoclopramide induced a prompt elevation in f-NE and E but no-change in t-NM and M levels. f-NE, f-E, f-NM, t-NM, f-M and t-M decreased rapidly after the resection of PHEO and reached the normal level on the third day after the surgery. In CRF patients, f-NM, t-NM, f-M and t-M decreased after hemodialysis despite an increase of f-NE. From these results, it was suggested that plasma NM and M levels reflected plasma NE and E to a certain extent in normal subjects and patients with normal renal function, and that the impaired renal function provoked an elevation of plasma NM and M due to the accumulation of them.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, Hirosaki University, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamaya
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nigawara
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Funyu
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Igarashi
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Terayama
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000097:blood; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008676:Metanephrine / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000097:blood*; D009647:Normetanephrine / Q000097:blood*; D010673:Pheochromocytoma / Q000097:blood; D011187:Posture
chemical_list: D009647:Normetanephrine; D008676:Metanephrine; D009638:Norepinephrine; D004837:Epinephrine