Red blood cell catecholamine levels in normotensive and DOCA-salt hypertensive rats

Journal Article · Sat Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1987 · Am. J. Physiol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6090026

Bouvier, M; Farley, L; de Champlain, J

Under basal conditions in anesthetized rats, significant concentrations of free norepinephrine (NE), epinephrine (E), and dopamine (DA) were detected in red blood cell (RBC) lysate. These concentrations were not proportional to their respective plasma concentrations and thus RBC-to-plasma concentration ratios were different for each catecholamine (CA). DA was by far the most concentrated amine inside the RBC. An acute increase in plasma NE and E levels, induced by hemorrhagic hypotension in normotensive (NT) rats, did not result in any modification of the RBC CA content. However, chronic elevation of the NE plasma levels in bilaterally adrenalectomized rats and in deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt hypertensive rats (DOCA-salt HT) were associated with increased NE levels in the RBC. In addition, the large elevation in plasma E concentrations following hemorrhagic hypotension in DOCA-salt HT rats, as well as the greater plasma NE response to hypotension in adrenalectomized animals, were accompanied by increases in the respective RBC amine concentrations. During a steady-state intravenous infusion of tritiated NE, we observed a slow accumulation of radioactivity inside the RBC, indicating that CA can enter the RBC from the plasma. Moreover, catechol methyltransferase activity was measured in the cytosolic fraction of the RBC of both NT and DOCA-salt HT rats suggesting that, once inside the RBC, the catecholamines can be metabolized.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Montreal, Quebec
• OSTI ID: 6090026
• Journal Information: Am. J. Physiol.; (United States), Journal Name: Am. J. Physiol.; (United States) Vol. 253; ISSN AJPHA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550501* -- Metabolism-- Tracer Techniques
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ADRENAL HORMONES
ADRENALECTOMY
ADRENALINE
AMINES
ANIMALS
AROMATICS
AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM AGENTS
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BLOOD
BLOOD CELLS
BODY FLUIDS
CARDIOTONICS
CARDIOVASCULAR AGENTS
CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES
CATECHOLAMINES
DISEASES
DISTRIBUTION
DOPAMINE
DRUGS
ENZYMES
ERYTHROCYTES
HEMORRHAGE
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
HYPERTENSION
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
MAMMALS
MATERIALS
MEDICINE
METABOLISM
METHYL TRANSFERASES
NEUROREGULATORS
NORADRENALINE
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES
PHENOLS
POLYPHENOLS
RATS
RODENTS
SURGERY
SYMPATHOMIMETICS
SYMPTOMS
TISSUE DISTRIBUTION
TRACER TECHNIQUES
TRANSFERASES
TRITIUM COMPOUNDS
VASCULAR DISEASES
VERTEBRATES