Human liver and conjugation of catecholamines.

To investigate the role of the liver in conjugation of catecholamines we measured the concentrations of free and conjugated norepinephrine, epinephrine, and dopamine in plasma of patients with severe liver disease who were undergoing liver transplantation. Comparisons were made with catecholamine levels in plasma of euhepatic patients who were undergoing abdominal aortic aneurysmectomy. We were also able to determine the importance of the liver in conjugation of exogenous dopamine because this compound was given to both groups of patients. The concentrations of conjugated amines were within the normal range in the patients undergoing liver transplantation, and administered dopamine was conjugated to a similar extent in the two groups of patients. The data suggest that the liver is not indispensable for the conjugation of circulating catecholamines.