title: Quantification of norepinephrine and its metabolites in the plasma of renal failure models.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The plasma concentration of catecholamines and their metabolites generated by catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT) were measured and their correlation with the progress of renal dysfunction was investigated in two distinctive animal models: a 5/6 nephrectomized Sprague-Dawley rat model and a 1/2 nephrectomized diabetic fatty Zucker rat model.
  
  
  METHODS
  A highly sensitive, high-performance liquid chromatography-peroxyoxalate chemiluminescence reaction detection was employed to obtain values for the ratio [NMN]/([NE] + [NMN]), where [NE] represents the plasma concentration of norepinephrine and [NMN] represents the plasma concentration of normetanephrine.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The [NMN]/([NE] + [NMN]) ratio correlated with both the increase in blood urea nitrogen concentration and the decrease in creatinine clearance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The [NMN]/([NE] + [NMN]) ratio represents a quantitative indicator of the progress of renal dysfunction in the animal models. Regulation of COMT activity seemed to relate with the progress of renal dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: Biofunctional Organic Chemistry Unit, Nihon University School of Pharmacy, Chiba, Japan. iijima.hiroshi@nihon-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Iijima
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsunoda
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takamiya
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Imai
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001806:Blood Urea Nitrogen; D002394:Catechol O-Methyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D008297:Male; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011924:Rats, Zucker; D051437:Renal Insufficiency / Q000097:blood* / Q000601:surgery / Q000652:urine
chemical_list: D003404:Creatinine; D002394:Catechol O-Methyltransferase; D009638:Norepinephrine