Role of catecholamines in the pathogenesis of diabetic cardiomyopathy

Although the sympathetic nervous system plays an important role in the regulation of cardiac function, the overactivation of the sympathetic nervous system under stressful conditions including diabetes has been shown to result in the excessive production of circulating catecholamines as well as an increase in the myocardial concentration of catecholamines. In this brief review, we provide some evidence to suggest that the oxidation products of catecholamines such as aminochrome and oxyradicals, lead to metabolic derangements, Ca