1995 Volume 177 Issue 1 Pages 49-60
SATO, K., KIMURA, T., OTA, K., SHOJI, M., OHTA, M., YAMAMOTO, T., FUNYU, T. and ABE, K. Changes in Plasma Vasopressin Levels and Cardiovascular Function due to Postural Changes in Diabetic Neuropathy. Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 1995, 177 (1), 49-60-Decreases in blood pressure are well known to increase the release of vasopressin. Studies were carried out to investigate whether vasopressin responses to postural changes in blood pressure are maintained in diabetic patients with orthostatic hypotension [DM-OH(+)] as well as non-diabetic patients with orthostatic hypotension [nonDM-OH(+)] and these responses were compared with them observed in normal subjects and diabetic patients without orthostatic hypotension [DM-OH(-)] . After 30min in the supine position, the upright posture for 40min was maintained and then the supine for 10min. Blood pressure and heart rate (HR) were measured every 5min and plasma vasopressin levels (plasma AVP) were determined every 10min. In normal subjects and DM-OH(-), mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) did not change, but HR increased significantly by the upright position. Plasma AVP did not change in these group. On the other hand, in DM-OH(+) MABP fell abruptly and remained to decrease during the upright posture. The HR responses in this group, however, were similar to those in normal control and DM-OH(-). Plasma AVP in DM-OH(+) significantly increased only at 30min during upright. These increases were significantly greater than those in normal and DM-OH(-). There were significant correlation in changes in MABP (ΔMAP) and plasma AVP (ΔAVP) in DM-OH(+) (ΔAVP=-0.13 MABP+1.5, r=-0.32, p<0.01). Relationship between ΔMABP and ΔAVP in nonDM-OH(+) was similar to that in DM-OH(+). It is concluded that AVP responses to orthostatic hypotension in diabetic and nondiabetic neuropathies were attenuated, but heart rate responses in these patients ware well reserved.
