title: [Sensitivity of free and conjugated plasma catecholamines as indicators of left ventricular contraction disorder of the heart].
abstract: Hemodynamic parameters were measured (using a Swan-Ganz semifloating balloon-tipped catheter) and free and conjugated catecholamines were assessed radioenzymatically in plasma from the pulmonary artery in 6 patients (5 postinfarction patients, 1 with idiopathic congestive cardiomyopathy; 56 +/- 7 years old) and 6 healthy control subjects (48 +/- 6 years old). The tests were carried out at rest and during bicycle ergometry in the supine position at incremented work loads. Neither at rest nor during exercise was cardiac output in patients and controls significantly different. The mean capillary wedge pressure (PCPm) was elevated above control values in 1 patient at rest and in all patients during exercise. This may be indicative of impaired left ventricular contractility. The mean ergometric exercise level in patients was 100 w, in the control group 187 w. Conjugated plasma catecholamines showed no exercise dependency, and there were no significant differences between patients and controls. Free dopamine comprised less than 5% of the whole dopamine fraction, free noradrenaline and free adrenaline less than 50% of their fractions. A significant exercise dependency was observed in the case of free noradrenaline and adrenaline in patients and controls; at the same exercise levels, the increase in free noradrenaline was significantly higher in patients than in control subjects (p less than 0.01). During exercise, a correlation between free plasma noradrenaline and PCPm (r = 0.60, p less than 0.01) was observed, but not with certainty in patients (r = 0.27). The free plasma noradrenaline may be seen as a sensitive sympathetic indicator of impaired left ventricular contractility.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization; D002312:Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000097:blood*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000097:blood*; D005080:Exercise Test; D006321:Heart / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006352:Heart Ventricles; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009200:Myocardial Contraction; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D004298:Dopamine; D009638:Norepinephrine; D004837:Epinephrine
vernacular_title: Zur Empfindlichkeit freier und konjugierter Plasmakatecholamine als Indikatoren der linksventrikulären Kontraktionsstörung des Herzens).