[Dopamine beta-hydroxylase activity in cerebrospinal fluid of hydrocephalic patients]

Dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH) activity in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was determined to evaluate the noradrenergic activity in the central nervous system of hydrocephalic patients in the acute phase. Seven patients with hydrocephalus resulting from various causes and 7 control children without neurological diseases were subjected to this study. DBH activity was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. DBH activity of control children, more than 5 years of age in our series, showed the similar activity of adult controls which was previously reported. Hydrocephalic patients revealed the higher DBH activity than controls (statistically significant, p less than 0.05). Sequential measurements of DBH activity in a case of herpes encephalitis revealed that its activity increased with the development of hydrocephalus and decreased after the treatment with repeated lumbar punctures. The present study suggests that the central noradrenergic activity is enhanced in the hydrocephalic patients in the acute phase.