Regulation of left ventricular mass by endogenous catecholamines in hypertensive progeny

In 10 normotensives with both parents hypertensive, the relationship between changes in echocardiographic parameters of left ventricular anatomy and those in circulating catecholamine levels induced by three 3-week periods of different sodium and potassium intakes were examined. A high-sodium normal-potassium regimen reduced upright plasma norepinephrine (P less than 0.01), posterior wall thickness (PWT) and interventricular septal thickness (IVST) as well as the left ventricular mass index (LVMi). Changes in upright plasma noreprinephrine correlated with those in IVST (r = 0.822, P less than 0.01) and in LVMi (r = 0.833, P less than 0.01). A low-sodium normal-potassium diet increased supine (P less than 0.001) and upright (P less than 0.01) plasma norepinephrine as well as the IVST and LVMi. The changes in supine and upright norepinephrine levels correlated with changes in IVST (r = 0.836 and r = 0.796 respectively, both P less than 0.01) and in LVMi (r = 0.931 and r = 0.947 respectively, both P less than 0.001). No significant change in any of the above parameters was detected after a low-sodium high-potassium regimen. These findings indicate that in hypertensive progeny catecholamines may play a role in the physiological regulation of left ventricular mass (LVM).