Preliminary Study of Urinary Catecholamines in Hypertension

Abstract

Introduction:

Clinical manifestations in some patients suffering from essential hypertension are suggestive of sympathetic nor adrenaline (NAD) d e - termination is that the increased activity of the. Sympathetic nervous system in hypertension, if any, .is associated with a greater release of NAD. Into the blood, followed by an increase in its metabolism and excretion. Taking into the view of this controversy in results preliminary investigations of the level of catecholamines in hypertensive patients, have been taken.

Material and Methods:

Collection of 24 hr. urine specimen was done at pH 4 to inhibit the oxidation of catecholamines by using approximately 5 ml of H2S04 of 3 mol/Lit. This acidified urine was refrigerated at 4°C for the storage purposes and analysed when required. After 20—30 minutes the fluorescence of the resulting products was read with JASCO-550 Spectrofluormeter, at 385 mu(excitantion) and 485 mu(emission) wavelength for nor-adrenaline and at 410 mu(excitation) and 490 mu(emission) for adrenaline.

Results :

During this study, 20 hypertensive patients and 10 nor ostensive subjects were evaluated for the catecholamine contents in urine. The data of these subjects is given in Table-i (hypertensives) and Table-2) (normotensives). Other parameters such as age, systolic and diastolic blood pressure when corr pared in hypert ensive patients with normotensive subjects except age other two parameters were found satisfically significant (< .001 and < .01 respectively).

Discussion:

In present studies when CA ‘s were compared between hypertensive patients and normotensive subjects, the mean value of CA’s in normotensives was found more than hypertensive patients, though it was not satistically significant (Table-3). These findings confirmed the results of D’Amelio, et al. (1978). They reported “no significant differences were noted in urinary excretion of adrenaline and noradrenaline in standardized basal conditions among normal and hypertensive (essential and renovascular) patients. It seems that if there would have not been in any medication the values of CAS might have been higher in hypertensive patients than controls.