Nicholls M G, Kiowski W, Zweifler A J, Julius S, Schork M A, Greenhouse J
Hypertension. 1980 Jan-Feb;2(1):29-32. doi: 10.1161/01.hyp.2.1.29.
Plasma catecholamine and renin activity levels were measured across a range of dietary sodium intakes (10--300 mEq/day) in 20 normal male volunteers. Supine plasma norepinephrine levels presented a triphasic pattern in relation to urine sodium, whereas epinephrine levels were not significantly altered by sodium intake, and renin showed the well-known hyperbolic relationship to urine sodium excretion. Highest supine norepinephrine values occurred at low salt intakes, the lowest when sodium excretion was between 100 and 180 mEq/day, and intermediate when sodium excretion was greater than 180 mEq/day. These findings show that sodium intake is an important consideration in the interpretation of plasma norepinephrine levels.
