PLASMA ADRENOMEDULLIN IN VARIOUS DISEASES AND EXERCISE-INDUCED CHANGEIN ADRENOMEDULLIN IN HEALTHY-SUBJECTS

Adrenomedullin is a novel hypotensive peptide recently discovered in h uman pheochromocytoma. In the present study, we measured the plasma im munoreactive adrenomedullin of healthy subjects and patients with vari ous diseases. Immunoreactive adrenomedullin was found to circulate in blood of the healthy subjects at a considerable concentration (3.3+/-0 .3 fmol/ml). Plasma adrenomedullin was significantly increased in the patients with congestive heart failure (5.4+/-0.3 fmol/ml), essential hypertension (5.3+/-0.4 fmol/ml) and renal disease (4.9+/-0.4 fmol/ml) . In healthy volunteers physical exercise significantly increased the plasma adrenomedullin concentration. The increase of adrenomedullin wa s inversely related to systolic blood pressure. These findings indicat e that adrenomedullin participates in the circulation control in both physiological and diseased conditions. Although the exact origin of ci rculating adrenomedullin is still unknown, it is thought to be release d rapidly by acute exercise, thereby regulating the cardiovascular sys tem by its vasodilating activity.