Potential Role of Catecholamines in the Production of Physiological and Pathological Hypertrophy

Abstract

From our group study of the structure, function, and biochemical mechanisms of the hypertrophy process, we have concluded that ventricular hypertrophy should be divided at least into physiological hypertrophy and pathological hypertrophy states (1–5). In the clinical domain, this distinction has great importance since athletes and many of the non-professional athletic individuals have significant electrocardiographic and echocardiographic demonstrated ventricular hypertrophy which should be considered physiological hypertrophy. Unfortunately, in the clinical field ventricular hypertrophy has a negative connotation by being frequently associated with the word pathological hypertrophy. Consequently, since 1970 our group has deemed it necessary to highlight the impact of this dual classification (1–5). Furthermore, our studies have emphasized the important role of norepinephrine in the ventricular hypertrophy process (2,6–8). Since the presentation to this group in 1983 (5), new studies and concepts have evolved from other laboratories as well as ours. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to review new data related to:

• (1) The concept that norepinephrine is an hypertrophying hormone;

• (2) The concept of physiological and pathological hypertrophy;

• (3) New experiments from our laboratory of compensatory (physiological) hypertrophy using a new myocardial infarction model.