Dopamine beta-hydroxylase release during hypertension from sympathetic nervous overactivity in man.

In subjects with cervical spinal cord transections, hypertension due to sympathetic nervous overactivity resulted in a rise in plasma dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DbetaH), the peak occurring 3 to 5 min after the peak blood pressure response. This indicates that DbetaH may be released from sympathetic nerve terminals during sympathetic activity in man, and emphasizes the importance of sample timing in acute studies on DbetaH.