Local Release of Catecholamines From the Hearts of Patients With Tako-Tsubo-Like Left Ventricular Dysfunction

• DOI: 10.1253/circj.72.106
• Publication Date: 2007-12-25T05:49:44Z
• Authors: Teruyoshi Kume; Takahiro Kawamoto; Hiroyuki Okura; Eiji Toyota; Yoji Neishi; Nozomi Watanabe; Akihiro Hayashida; Noriko Okahashi; Yuki Yoshimura; Ken Saito; Shintaro Nezuo; Ryotaro Yamada; Kiyoshi Yoshida
• Keywords: Male; Myocardium; Biological Transport; Coronary Angiography; Norepinephrine; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left; 03 medical and health sciences; Catecholamines; 0302 clinical medicine; Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy; Humans; Female; Aged

The precise mechanism of tako-tsubo-like left ventricular (LV) dysfunction remains unclear, although recent studies have shown that activation of sympathetic tone might be involved. However, local release of catecholamines from cardiac sympathetic efferent neurons in patients with tako-tsubo-like LV dysfunction remains poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate evidence of local release of catecholamines from the hearts of patients with tako-tsubo-like LV dysfunction.Five consecutive patients with tako-tsubo-like LV dysfunction were studied. After confirming LV apical ballooning and a normal coronary angiogram, sampling of blood for the measurement of plasma catecholamine levels was performed at the aortic root (Ao) and coronary sinus (CS). In all 5 cases, increased local release of norepinephrine from the heart was documented (597, 4,238, 2,121, 486, 371 pg/ml at the Ao; 836, 5,719, 3,386, 658, 472 pg/ml at the CS, respectively).Increased cardiac catecholamines might cause the transient LV apical ballooning in patients with tako-tsubo-like LV dysfunction.