Interaction of noradrenaline and dopamine in patients with essential hypertension or with pheochromocytoma.

To analyse the interaction of noradrenaline (NA) and dopamine (DA) release, the present study compared urinary outputs of total NA and DA as well as plasma levels of total NA and DA in normotensive (NT) subjects, in patients with essential hypertension (EHT) and in a patient with pheochromocytoma. Significant correlations between total NA and DA in urine were observed in NT subjects, in patients with EHT and in a patient with pheochromocytoma. A significant correlation was observed in plasma total NA and DA of blood collected from several veins except for the tumor vein, by indwelling catheter, in a patient with pheochromocytoma. These results suggest that DA is released from sympathetic nerve terminals in response to an augmented release of NA.