ACUTE PANDYSAUTONOMIA - MASS-SPECTROMETRIC AND HISTOPATHOLOGICAL STUDIES OF THE SYMPATHETIC NERVOUS-SYSTEM DURING LONG-TERM L-THREO-3,4-DIHYDROXYPHENYLSERINE TREATMENT

Stable isotope labelled L-threo-3,4-dihydroxyphenylserine (L-DOPS) inf usion tests and histopathological studies of the rectal autonomic nerv es were performed in a patient with acute pandysautonomia. A pronounce d increase in blood pressure occurred and stable isotope labelled nora drenaline appeared in the plasma during L-DOPS infusion in the acute s tage, but decreased during the next three years. Noradrenergic nerve f ibres in the rectal mucosa showed no recovery, and so clinical improve ment had occurred without apparent significant regeneration of the per ipheral autonomic nerves.