[Reduction of catecholamine liberation by drugs. Therapeutic alternative to beta sympathicolysis in coronary disease?].

Plasma catecholamines have been determined in 10 persons with healthy coronary circulation (group A) and in 10 patients with coronary cardiac illness (group B) before and immediately after ergometer loading. The loading dosis amounted on average to 177.5 watts for group A and 80 watts for group B. Under load, the catecholamines rose significantly for group A (p less than 0.01) and highly significantly for group B (p less than 0.001). After 10 days of therapy with a combination preparation (12 mg of diphenhydramine hydrochloride, 100 mg of meprobamate, 5 mg of nicotinic acid = Visano-mini), the catecholamines were again determined for groups A and B before and after loading. The catecholamines were not significantly changed by therapy, neither for group A nor B. Under the therapy, the rise in catecholamines caused by load was distinctly lower than before without therapy, namely significantly lowered for group A (p less than 0.01) and slightly significantly for group B (p less than 0.02). Also significantly lowered under therapy in terms of percentage was the catecholamine rise caused by the load, namely by 27% against 75% for group A, by 35% against 89% for group B. As the first results show, Visano-mini seems to constitute an interesting catecholamine inhibiting combination of substances. Whether this might possibly lead to a therapeutic alternative to the betasympathicolysis will have to be determined on the basis of further investigations.