Adrenaline and noradrenaline as possible chemical mediators in the pathogenesis of arteriosclerosis.

We studied the relationships between adrenaline and noradrenaline and factors associated with arteriosclerosis to determine whether catecholamines contribute to the atherogenetic process. We investigated the effects of adrenaline and noradrenaline on cultures of vessel wall cells from rats and analyzed plasma catecholamine levels in humans exposed to atherogenic risk factors, undergoing hemodialysis treatment or following myocardial infarction or stroke. I.

A possible role of catecholamines in atherogenesis and subsequent complications of atherosclerosis.

Cultured smooth muscle cells (SMC) from rat aorta and endothelial cells (EC) from pig aorta were used to study the effect of the catecholamines epinephrine and norepinephrine on cell proliferation. Both stimulated growth of SMC and EC when added to the culture medium. Besides epinephrine and norepinephrine, dopamine and some of their metabolites also stimulated proliferation of cultured endothelial cells.