Auricular catecholamine content in ischaemic heart disease.

The noradrenaline (NA) content (mean +/- S.D.) of tissue samples from the right atrial appendage in 19 patients with ischaemic heart disease (IHD) was 2.81 +/- 0.94 microng/g and in 7 patients with valvular heart disease (VHD) 2.79 +/- 1.12 microng/g. In 10 patients with uncomplicated atrial septal defect (ASD) the NA content was 1.64 +/- 0.32 microng/g and in 11 patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) 0.75 +/- 0.41 microng/g. The difference in NA content between the IHD group and the ASD and CHF groups is significant (p is less than 0.001). Small amounts of adrenaline and dopamine were found in all groups. There was no significant correlation between auricular NA content and either systemic diastolic blood pressure. The relatively high level of NA in the IHD group is assumed to be a contributory factor in the intracellular metabolic as well as in the systemic changes typical of ischaemia and infarction.