Sympathetic activity and cardiac adrenergic receptors in one-kidney, one clip hypertension in rats.

The activity of the sympathetic nervous system, as measured by levels of plasma and cardiac catecholamines and catecholamine metabolites and the function of cardiac alpha- and beta-adrenergic receptors, was evaluated at 3 days and 4 weeks after induction of one-kidney, one clip hypertension (1K1C) in the rat. At 3 days, the plasma level of norepinephrine (NE) was lower in the 1K1C group than the control group (p less than 0.01), whereas epinephrine (E) and the metabolites dihydroxymandelic acid (DOMA), dihydroxyphenylglycol (DOPEG), and normetanephrine (NMN) were similar in both groups. In addition, cardiac content of catecholamines, their metabolites, and adrenergic receptors were similar in both groups. At 4 weeks, plasma levels of NE and DOPEG were lower (p less than 0.01), whereas levels of DOMA and NMN were higher (p less than 0.02 and p less than 0.001, respectively) in the 1K1C group than the control group. Cardiac content of NE (p less than 0.01), and DOPEG (p less than 0.05) was significantly lower, whereas DOMA and NMN were significantly higher (p less than 0.01) in the 1K1C group as compared to controls. In addition, cardiac density of both alpha- and beta-adrenergic receptors was reduced in the 1K1C group, whereas receptor affinities were unchanged.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)