Antidiuretic action of oxytocin is confirmed by in vitro study using with rat IMCD. Vasopressin is elevated in edematous disorders and may play a pathogenetic role in the formation of edema. If oxytocin plays a sirnilar role to vasopressin in water disturbances in human, oxytocin may change as the same way as vasopressin. To verify a role of oxytocin in the regulation of water balance in human, we measured plasma and urine oxytocin with vasopressin by radioimmunoassay in thirteen patients with generalized edema (8 nephrotic syndrome, 3 liver cirrhosis, 2 acute renal failure) before and after control of edema. And they were compared them with those of seven normal controls. Plasma oxytocin level correlated with plasma vasopressin level (r=0.543: P<0.05) and urinary oxytocin level correlated linearly with urinary vaso-pressin (r=0.983, P<0.01). After control of edema, body weight of patients decreased from 65+/- 2 to 58+/-2kg and fractional excretion of sodium decreased from 3.3+/-1.1 to 1.2+/-0.696 (P<0.05). There were no significant changes in serum and urine Na, osmolality, free water clearance, plasma renin activity, aldosterone and norepinephrine. In conclusion, oxytocin was elevated in edematous disorders, and may participate in formation of edema similar to vasopressin.
Aldosterone ; Animals ; Body Weight ; Edema ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Nephrotic Syndrome ; Norepinephrine ; Osmolar Concentration ; Oxytocin* ; Plasma ; Radioimmunoassay ; Rats ; Renin ; Sodium ; Vasopressins* ; Water*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Mitral flow Doppler has been used to evaluate left ventricle (LV) diastolic function by mitral E/A flow ratio, isovolumic relaxation time (IVRT) and deceleration time (DT) of E wave. Such variables can be affected by various factors. The increase in left atrium (LA) afterload and preload is accompanied by increased LA size. So, we investigated the relationship of LA volume and LV diastolic dysfunction. MATERIALS AND METHOD: From January 2000 to July 2000, 39 patients were included in this study. They were classified into normal (M:F=5:6, mean age 54.0+/-11.4 years), impaired relaxation (M:F=5:4, mean age 70.0+/-5.5 years), pseudonormal (M:F=5:3, mean age 68.3+/-13.2 years) and restrictive physiology (M:F=10:1, mean age 65.5+/-12.7 years) according to mitral inflow variables. The LA volume of each groups was measured by Simpson method, M-mode method and arealength method. RESULTS: 1) The LA volumes measured by Simpson method, M-mode method and area-length method were correlated (p<0.001, r=0.925 in Simpson compared with arealength method). 2) The LA volume by Simpson method were found 54.4+/-16.4 cm3 in normal, 57.3+/-9.2 cm3 in impaired relaxation, 81.4+/-28.8 cm3 in pseudonormal and 119.8+/-64.5 cm3 in restrictive physiology. 3) The LA volume were significantly increased in pseudonormal group compared with normal (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The LA volume is a useful and easy diagnostic stool for evaluating of LV diastolic function.
Cardiac Volume ; Deceleration ; Diastole ; Heart Atria ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Physiology ; Relaxation