[Status of the adrenal medulla in various forms of cardiomyopathy].

Adrenal medulla was studied quantitatively by a histofluorescent method and by that of Wood in 20 persons who had died at the age 35-50 years. The autopsy material was obtained from 11 dead bodies (control group--accident death) and those who had dilated and alcoholic cardiomyopathy (DCMP and ACMP, respectively). Catecholamine luminescence intensity (CLI) was higher in ACMP compared to control. On the contrary, CLI was low in chromaffin adrenal tissue in DCMP. The histofluorescent results corresponded to those obtained by a light microscopy by Wood method. The differences in results concerning catecholamines obtained in ACMP and DCMP were probably due to the differences in their activities in patients when they were alive (low in DCMP and high in ACMP).