Multi-score estimation of catecholamine fluorescence for clinical purposes.

Experience accumulated at multi-score semiquantitation of catecholamine fluorescence of glyoxylic acid-treated stretch preparations of human clinical specimens is presented. The methodology and criteria of quantitation are described in detail. For an example, comparison between 3 different methods for analyzing neural-bound noradrenaline in human myocardial tissue in various heart diseases (obtained during the course of cardiac surgery) is presented: Biochemical determination of tissue noradrenaline content multi-score estimation of catecholamine fluorescence of glyoxylic acid-treated stretch preparations microfluorimetric analysis of the same stretch preparations. The results show that the multi-score estimation method gives a reliable concept of the relative amounts of noradrenaline stored in the intrinsic adrenergic nerve net (corresponding closely to the individual and group differences observed at biochemical noradrenaline determination). In addition, possible regional differences, alterations in the structural integrity of the inbuilt intrinsic nerve net, and other structural changes (e.g. pathological catecholamine accumulations) are easily recognized, whereas biochemical estimation cannot give information on structural aspects, which may have important clinical repercussions. Microfluorimetry does not seem suitable for studies on human myocardial specimens for several reasons which are discussed. The method of multi-score estimation of catecholamine fluorescence described and discussed is recommended for other similar and related studies on human clinical materials.