Prostaglandins in Severe Congestive Heart Failure

Abstract

To determine whether prostaglandins are involved in circulatory homeostasis in congestive heart failure, we measured plasma levels of the metabolites of vasodilator prostaglandins I₂ and E₂ in 15 patients with severe chronic heart failure. Mean circulating levels of both metabolites were 3 to 10 times higher than those in normal subjects. Plasma levels of both metabolites correlated directly with plasma renin activity and plasma angiotensin II concentrations (r = 0.64 and 0.84, respectively). Individual serum sodium concentrations were inversely correlated with levels of prostaglandin E₂ metabolites (r = -0.92, P-5, P<0.001), whereas the 14 patients with a normal serum sodium concentration had no significant hemodynamic changes.