title: Influence of norepinephrine on vessel geometry of the intact femoral artery in juvenile insulin-dependent diabetics-evidence of early diabetic angiopathy in central arteries.
abstract: A modified M-mode ultrasound echo system had been employed to study blood-vessel geometry of the intact femoral artery before and after Norepinephrine (NE) infusion. 14 patients with juvenile IDDM aged below 35 years and 11 healthy subjects participated in the study. In the diabetic group, wall distensibility (delta D/delta P) was reduced (p less than 0.01) at control conditions. After NE infusion, wall distensibility decreased in both groups (p less than 0.01). The decrease of wall distensibility is due to an increase in pulse pressure (delta P) (p less than 0.002) in the diabetic group and a reduction of pulsatile diameter (delta D) (p less than 0.02) in the normal group. Increased stiffening of the arteriaL wall after NE infusion with progressive reduction of wall strain (delta D/Dd) is the typical finding in the normal group. No change of wall strain was observed in the diabetic group. The functional alteration of the diabetic femoral artery may be described as diminished resistance of the arterial wall to the distending force of rising blood pressure.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D003925:Diabetic Angiopathies / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004452:Echocardiography; D004548:Elasticity; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D009638:Norepinephrine; D014655:Vascular Resistance / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin; D009638:Norepinephrine