Studies on the relation of carbohydrate metabolism to urinary catecholamines. 1. Urinary adrenaline and noradrenaline in diabetes mellitus patients

Abstract

In order to study the relationship of catecholamines to the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus and understand the relationship between the carbohydrate metabolism and the catecholamines, the urinary catecholomines in patients with diabetes mellitus were determined, and the following results were obtained : 1) The urinary free catecholamines were determined by Euler and Floding's modified method. The recovery coefficient was from 58 to 62%.2) In 15 patients with diabetes mellitus, urinary excretion of noradrenalin (NA) was higher than that in 20 healthy subjects. But urinary excretion of adrenalin (A) was not so correlative.3) No marked difference was found between urinary catecholamines in young patients and in aged patients.4) No correlation was found between blood pressure and urinary catecholamines of patients.5) In patients with diabetes mellitus, the volume of excreted urine had a statistically significant correlation to urinary excretion of A. But no correlation was found between the volume of excreted urine and the urinary excretion of NA.6) Concerning the urinary sugar and urinary excretion of A, a statistically significant correlation was found between them. But no correlation was found between urinary sugar and urinary excretion of NA.7) A statistically significant correlation could be recognized between blood sugar level and urinary excretion of A. But no correlation was found between blood sugar level and urinary excretion of NA.8) In 2 patients with Kimmelstiel-Wilson's symptom, urinary excretion of A was not pathological, but urinary excretion of NA was above normal.9) In a diabetic patient with acetonurie, urinary excretion of A and NA was higher than normal.The results of these experiments may suggest that catecholamines metabolism is related to the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus.In order to underst and the relationship between catecholamines metabolism and carbohydrate metabolism, the author estimated the catecholamines and vanillyl mandelic acid (VMA) in urine of rabbits under various conditions of carbohydrate metabolism.The VMA content of urine was determined chemically by Imaizumi's modification of Sandler's method.The following results were obtained : 1) In the normal group, urinary excretion of NA had statistically significant correlation to urinary excretion of VMA. But no correlation was found between A and VMA.2) In the continual-glucose administered group, urinary catecholamines and VMA were inclined to increse, especially A.3) In the alloxanized group, a decrease in urinary VMA was characteristic to the 4th day after treatment. After the 5th day urinary catecholamines and VMA increased ; especially, urinary A and NA were markedly elevated.4) By the insulin treatment, urinary A increased extraordinarily, but urinary NA decreased. Urinary VMA was inclined to increase.5) By intravenous injections of D860, urinary A and NA increased. But urinary VMA was inclined to decrease.6) By the thyroxine treatment, no recognizable change caused the excretion of urinary catecholamines and VMA.7) In the hydrocortisone-treated group, urinary catecholamines and VMA increased.