Urinary excretion of catecholamines (epinephrine, norepinephrine and dopamine) was determined in student pilots during high gravitational acceleration training. A total of 20 student pilots were exposed to +6GZ for 30 seconds using human centrifuge without anti-G suit and urine samples were collected before and after +GZ load. Each urine sample was adjusted to pH 2 with hydrochloric acid and stored at -20degreeC. Urine samples were derivatized with fluorescence using Toyopak SP cartridge and concentration of urinary catecholamines was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection. The amount of urinary excretion of catecholamines after exposure to +6GZ was significantly increased in comparison with pre-exposure level (epinephrine, 3.02+/-1.66 to 7.62+/-3.97; norepinephrine, 1.10+/-0.36 to 2.03+/-1.09; dopamine, 3.49+/-1.76 to 5.33+/-3.21 ng/100 mg creatinine). But, there was no difference in catecholamine excretion pattern between passed trainees and failed ones who experienced G-induced loss of consciousness (G-LOC). These data suggest that high +GZ stress was a powerful physical and mental stimuli to all student pilots and resulted in increased excretion of catecholamines. And the cartridge derivatization method was very useful in catecholamine measurement.
Acceleration* ; Catecholamines ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Dopamine* ; Epinephrine* ; Fluorescence ; Humans ; Hydrochloric Acid ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Norepinephrine* ; Unconsciousness

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Catecholamines have an effect on sexual drive. When the sympathetic nervous system is excited, norepinephrine is released from nerve terminals, epinephrine from the adrenal glands, and dopamine in the central nervous system. Serotonin has a central inhibitory effect on sexual drive. Major adrenergic and serotoninergic innervation is found in the hippocampus. This study was performed to investigate the differences in serotonin release from rat hippocampal slices in the central nervous system in response to various catecholamines. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The hippocampus from the rat brain was sliced. After 30 minutes' incubation in normal buffer, the slices were incubated for 20 minutes in a buffer containing 0.1 micro M [3H]5-HT and then washed. After administration of norepinephrine (10-5M), dopamine (10-5M), or epinephrine (10-5M), the release of [3H]5-HT into the buffer was measured. The radioactivity in each buffer and tissue was counted, and the results were expressed as a percentage of the total activity. The value of released [3H]5-HT was expressed as percent of the value at 50 minutes when a steady state of [3H]5-HT release had been obtained. RESULTS: After administration of norepinephrine, dopamine, and epinephrine, the values (mean +/- SE, %) were 115.7 +/- 2.3, 136.8 +/- 10.5, 107.4 +/- 7.7 at 60 minutes and 105.8 +/- 5.5, 140.7 +/- 7.7, 94.2 +/- 6.2 at 70 minutes vs. 96.6 +/- 1.9 at 60 minutes and 89.2 +/- 2.3 at 70 minutes for the control group. The release thus was increased significantly after administration of norepinephrine and dopamine, and the effect of dopamine was more significant than that of epinephrine. CONCLUSIONS: Release of serotonin is increased by norepinephrine and dopamine. The effect of dopamine was more significant than that of epinephrine. Reciprocal increase in serotonin release after administration of catecholamines may be involved in their effect on sexual function.
Adrenal Glands ; Animals ; Brain ; Catecholamines* ; Central Nervous System ; Dopamine ; Epinephrine ; Hippocampus ; Norepinephrine ; Radioactivity ; Rats* ; Serotonin* ; Sympathetic Nervous System

Pheochromocytoma is usually associated with a combination of various clinical manifestations caused by the overproduction of catecholamines. It is frequently accompanied by impaired glucose tolerance operating through 2-and-adrenergic mechanisms. A 41-year-old-woman was admitted to the hospital because of poorly-controlled diabetes mellitus and hypertension. She had suffered intermittent paroxysmal attacks of headache and chest discomfort and had been treated intermittently over a 2 year period for diabetes mellitus and hypertension. At admission, the levels of serum epinephrine, norepinephrine urinary excretion of total metanephrine, and VMA were all abnormally elevated. Adrenal CT showed a well-defined, homogenous mass in the right adrenal region and the tumor was diagnosed as pheochromocytoma. After tumor resection, the increased blood level of catecholamines, the urinary excretion of total metanephrine, and VMA were normalized, as was the hyperglycemia state. Diabetes mellitus of the patient was considered permanently resolved after tumor removal by the result of glucose tolerance in 75g oral glucose tolerance test.
Catecholamines ; Diabetes Mellitus* ; Epinephrine ; Glucose ; Glucose Intolerance ; Glucose Tolerance Test ; Headache ; Humans ; Hyperglycemia ; Hypertension ; Metanephrine ; Norepinephrine ; Pheochromocytoma* ; Thorax

Hyperglycemia during either global or regional ischemia is widely known to be detrimental, and ischemia induced release of diverse neurotransmitters and the ensuing activation of specific postsynaptic receptors have been suggested to play a important role in the development of ischemic selective vulunerability. This study was undertaken to investigate the influence of blood glucose change on tissue concentration of some catecholamines ; dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin, of the transient ischemic rat's brain, estimated by high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) assay system, following transient bilateral forebrain ischemia in the rat's model subjected to 20 minutes of normothermic ischemia by two vesseles occulusion plus profound cortex, hippocampus and striatum respectively by HLPC. The concentrations of catecholamines were significantly decreased in all sampled areas in experimental groups compared with the control group(p<0.05), respectively(average decrease rate : norepinephrine 71%, dopamine 89%, serotonin 80% in frontal cortex ; norepinephrine 71%, dopamine 93%, serotonin 81% in hippocampus ; norepinephrine 33%, dopamine 35%, serotonin 78% in striatum). Dopamine was relatively decreased in concentration in frontal cortex and hippocampus, and serotonin was relatively decreased in striatum. But no statistic significancy(p>0.05) of catecholamines level between each experimental group(hyper-, hypo- and normoglycemic group) according to the change of blood sugar. The results suggested that blood glucose level did not influence the tissue concentration of dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin in frontl cortex, hippocampus and striatum of transient ischemic rat's brain.
Blood Glucose* ; Brain* ; Catecholamines ; Dopamine* ; Frontal Lobe* ; Hippocampus* ; Hyperglycemia ; Ischemia ; Neurotransmitter Agents ; Norepinephrine* ; Prosencephalon ; Serotonin*

A pheochromocytoma is a neuroectodermal tumor that originates from the chromaffin cells of the sympathetic system. It has typical symptoms or signs, such as periodic attacks of paroxysmal hypertension, palpitation, headache, and sweating, related to an increased catecholamine secretion. Types of catecholamine secreted from tumors are usually norepinephrine and epinerphrine. There are a few reports of dopamine-secreting pheochromocytoma with absence of other catecholamines secretion. Here, we report the case of a 59-year-old man with dopamine-secreting pheochromocytoma, with no typical symptoms or signs.
Catecholamines ; Chromaffin Cells ; Dopamine ; Headache ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Middle Aged ; Neuroectodermal Tumors ; Norepinephrine ; Pheochromocytoma ; Sweat ; Sweating

BACKGROUND: Sympathetic blocking agent, esmolol (selective beta 1 blocker) or labetalol ( alpha and beta blocker) would prevent the hypertension and tachycardia from endotracheal intubation. We have carried out the study to see the effects of esmolol or labetalol on the blood pressure, heart rate, rate pressure product and plasma catecolamines during the endotracheal intubation. METHODS: Thirty-three ASA physical status 1 or 2 adult patients were allocated into three groups; Group I:control (n=10), Group II:esmolol (n=11) and Group III: labetalol (n=12). In Group I, 2 ml of normal saline, in Group II, 1 mg/kg of esmolol, and in Group III, 0.2 mg/kg of labetalol were given 3, 2 and 4 minutes before endotracheal intubation. Blood pressure and heart rate were measured after arrival at the operating room, before endotracheal intubation and after endotracheal intubation at 15, 60, 120, 180 and 300 seconds interval under the inhalation anesthesia (enflurane-N2O-O2). Rate-pressure product was calculated from the heart rate and systolic blood pressure (RPP = heart rate x systolic blood pressure). The plasma cathecolamines, dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine, were measured before intubation as a baseline value and 2 minute after intubation. RESULTS: Systolic blood pressure, rate-pressure product and heart rate were significantly lower in esmolol and labetalol groups than in control group after intubation ( p<0.05). Esmolol reduced the heart rate and the rate-pressure product than labetalol, but statistically there were no significance (P > 0.05). Plasma level of dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine showed higher values after intubation in all three groups ( p<0.05). But there were no difference among groups (P>0.05). The side effects of esmolol and labetalol did not appear at all. CONCLUSION: 1 mg/kg of esmolol given 2 min before intubation or 0.2 mg/kg of labetalol given 4 min before intubation reduce increasing of blood pressure and heart rate, caused by adnergic response following endotracheal intubation, significantly. The reason is that esmolol and labetalol do not decrease release of catecholamines but attenuate responses of elevated catecholamines following endotracheal intubation.
Adult ; Anesthesia, Inhalation ; Blood Pressure ; Catecholamines ; Dopamine ; Epinephrine ; Heart Rate ; Hemodynamics* ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Intubation ; Intubation, Intratracheal* ; Labetalol* ; Norepinephrine ; Operating Rooms ; Plasma ; Tachycardia

Recently introduced tramadol structually similar to morphine, was a new category in analgesia. Also it was reported that that drug could be used in the shale of balanced anesthesia. So we carried out the experiment for evaluation of its effect on sympathoa-drenal system activity, indexed by plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine levels, to compare with other methods of balanced techniques in 18 Patients. Patients in group 1 who received Thalamonal-N2O-O2, patients in group 2 were given pethidine. diazepam-N2O-O2, patients in group 3 were tramadol. diase7am-N2O-O7, Venous samples were obtained before induction of anesthesia, after induction but before skin incision and immediately after skin incision. Sequential results of plasma epinephrine(pg/ml)were 62.0+16.8(mean+s.e.), 134.3+18.7, 127.3+26.2 in group 1, 65.8+13.1, 79.7+13.1, 91.3+22.5 in group 2 and 74.0+24.9, 88.0+17. 1, 108.4+23.2 in group 3. Values of norepinephrine(pg/ml) were 212.5+27.1, 167.7+23.9, 236.2+34.4 in group 1, 213.8+59.1, 162.0+33.2, 246.8+55.7 in group 2 and 236.0+39.6, 197.7+59.4, 208.4+25.6 in group 3. Those values did not differ significantly between three groups. Theae data revealed that this method of balanced anesthesia using tramadol could effectively block the sympathetic response to anesthestic and surgical stress as other method of balanced techniques.
Analgesia ; Anesthesia ; Balanced Anesthesia* ; Catecholamines* ; Epinephrine ; Humans ; Meperidine ; Morphine ; Norepinephrine ; Plasma* ; Skin ; Tramadol*

This study was designed to evaluate the possibility of esmolol to attenuate the cardiovascular reflex due to the induction of general anesthesia, tracheal intubation and/or surgical stimulations during open heart surgery. Esmolol was infused continuously to each patient by 150 ug/kg/min from 2 minutes prior to the completion of the induction of anesthesia and then by 75 ug/kg/min throughout the skin-incision. In patients undergoing coronary bypass grafts, esmolol group of 5 individuals did not show any significant change in hemodynamics in contrast to the control group of 5 individuals, which showed singificant decreases in systolic and mean arterial pressure(p<0.05). The plasma concentrations of the catecholamines in the esmolol group were not significantly different from those in control. In patients undergoing valve replacement, esmolol group did not show any significant difference in hemodynamics from control. The plasma concentrations of the catecholamines in the esmolol group were not changed by the anesthetic and surgical procedures in contrast to the control group, which showed 3 times increase (p<0.05) in norepinephrine level and 8 times increase (p<0.05) in epinephrine level. The results of these experiments demonstrate that esmolol can suppress the hemodynamic refiex and catecholamine-release due to the stimulations of anesthetic and surgical procedures under the general anesthesia by a high concentration of fentanyl, and that esmolol can be administered safely to attenuate the hazardous sympathetic reflexes.
Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, General ; Catecholamines ; Epinephrine ; Fentanyl ; Heart* ; Hemodynamics* ; Humans ; Intubation ; Norepinephrine ; Plasma ; Reflex ; Thoracic Surgery ; Transplants

It is believed that catecholamine secretion is increased during cardiopulmonary bypass. However, the periods of maximum increase in catecholamine levels during cardiopulmonary bypass are different among several authors. 15 patients having valvular surgery were studied. Plasma epinephrine and norepine- phrine were determined by high performance liquid chromatography at 8 stages of the operation. During bypass plasma catecholamine levels continued to rise and maximally increased until aortic cross clamp off, and decreased gradually. Norepinephrine also showed the same results initially, but then increased gradually after the end of bypass. During bypass the maximum increases in epinephrine and norepinephrine were sixfold and twofold respectively in comparison with the levels prior to induction, which suggests that the predominant humoral response to cardiopulmonary bypass appears to be adrenomedullary release of epinephrine. The catecholamine levels at the period of aortic cross clamp off was higher than that of the lowest body temperature. There was no correlation between the increases in catecholamines and mean arterial pressure. Temperautures and eatecholamines also showed no correlations.
Arterial Pressure ; Body Temperature ; Cardiopulmonary Bypass* ; Catecholamines ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Epinephrine* ; Humans ; Norepinephrine* ; Plasma

Although the conclusion is controversial, there has long been an appealing notion that catecholamines may be involved in some way in the pathogenesis of primary hypertension and almost invariably most of hypotensive drugs involve at various sites of the neuron and produce their effect by depletion of norepinephrine in the sympathetic nerve ending. The authors undertook the comparative study on catecholamine depleting action of 3 most effective drugs available for the treatment of hypertension, reserpine, guanethidine and alpha-methyldopa, measuring the plasma catecholamine levels and urinary exceretion of caecholamine by the modified fluorometric method of Weil-Malherbe and Bone during the treatment of hypertension. The results are as follows: 1) Before the administration of hypotensive drugs, mean blood pressure was 180/110mmH, mean psalma epinephrine level was 0.36+/-0.23gamma%, mean plasma norepinephrine level was 0.48+/-0.35gamma%, 24 hours urinary excretion of epinephrine was 3.6+/-0.12gamma/day and 24 hours urinary excretion of norepinephrine was 68.9+/-0.34gamma/day. 2) In group 1 (reserpin administered group), the mean blood pressure was 190/110mmHg before the treatment and which was declined to 155/89mmHg on the last day of 4th week, in group 2 (guanethidine administered group), the mean blood pressure measured before the treatment was 185/110mmHg and which was declined to 150/85mmHg on the last day of 4th week, and in group 3 (alpha-methylodpa administered group), the mean blood measured pressure measured before the treatment was 182/110mmHg and which was declined to 153/88mmHg on the last day of 4th week. 3) After the treatment for 4 weeks with reserpin guanethidine and alpha-methyldopa, the mean plasma epinephrine levels were declined from 0.37+/-0.12gamma% to 0.11+/-0.08gamma% in group 1, from 0.38+/-0.16gamma% to 0.14+/-0.10gamma% in group 2 and from 0.33+/-0.23gamma% to 0.10+/-0.09gamma% in group 3. 4) The mean plasma norepinephrine levels were declined from 0.05+/-0.21gamma% to 0.22+/-0.12gamma% in group 1, from 0.51+/-0.25gamma% to 0.20+/-0.10gamma% in group 2 and from 0.51+/-0.21gamma% to 0.20+/-0.11gamma% in group 3 after the treatment of 4 weeks respectively. 5) Urinary exceretion of epinephine was declined from 32.3+/-0.16gamma/day to 10.4+/-0.10gamma/day in group 1, from 34.5+/-0.34gamma/day to 17.2+/-0.16gamma/day in group 2, and from 28.2+/-0.14gamma/day to 10.3+/-0.11gamma/day in group in group 3 after the treatment of 4weeks duration. 6) The mean value of 24 hours urinary excretion of norepinephrine was declined to from 72.2+/-0.35gamma/day to 28.5+/-0.14gamma/day in group1, from 69.2+/-0.34gamma/day to 22.6+/-0.21gamma/day in group 2 and from 68.6+/-0.34gamma/day to 18.2+/-0.10gamma/day in group 3 after the treatment of 4 weeks duration. 7) From the above result we can summarized as follows: Antihypertensive effect of each drugs was; guanethidine>alpha-methylodopa>reserpin in order but depressing action plasma norepinephrine levels was; alpha-methyldopa>guanethidine>reserpin and depressing effect of urinary norepinephrine excretion was; alpha-methyldopa>guanethidine>reserpin, in order.
Antihypertensive Agents* ; Blood Pressure ; Catecholamines ; Epinephrine ; Guanethidine ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Methyldopa ; Nerve Endings ; Neurons ; Norepinephrine ; Plasma* ; Reserpine