It has recently been reported that both norepinephrine and dopamine elicit antidiuresis when given intracerebroventricularly. But no inference has been made as to their mechanisms. As dopamine is the immediate precursor of norepinephrine in the biosynthesis of catecholamine, it might be possible that dopamine might act indirectly through increased level of norepinephrine in the brain tissue. To certify whether the dopamine-induced antidiuresis is related to norepinephrine, the influence of phentolamine, a specific alpha-adrenergic blocking agent, on the centrally induced antidiuresis of both norepinephrine and dopamine was investigated in this study. Norepinephrine and dopamine given intraventricularly elicited maximal antidiuresis in doses of 10ug and 500ug, respectively. Phentolamine, administered intravenously in dose of 2mg/kg, abolished the renal effect of norepinephrine given intraventricularly, but did not influence the antidiuresis induced by dopamine. It is suggested that both norepinephrine and dopamine produce antidiuresis when given intracerebroventricularly but their actions are mediated by different mechanisms, and that norepinephrine does not participate in the renal action of dopamine.
Brain ; Dopamine* ; Norepinephrine* ; Phentolamine*

No abstract available.
Coronary Vessels* ; Endothelium* ; Norepinephrine*

Pheoehromocytoma is a kind of very rare endocrine disease and which is completely recovered by surgical resection of the tumor, but rapidly changing cardiovascular response to the cathecholamine during the anesthetic course and after removal of tumor make the anesthetic management difficulty. Various anesthetic agent can be used with their good and bad characteristics successfully if the pathophysiology of the disease and pharmacology of the drugs are kept in mind. We have experienced successful anesthetic management for pheocromocytoma removal using halothane-N2O-O2, and muscle relaxant and cardiovascular change was supported by pentolamine (Regitine), Propranolol(Inderal), and Levophed.
Endocrine System Diseases ; Norepinephrine ; Pharmacology

OBJECTIVES: We attempted to investigate personality characteristics influencing insight acquisition in patients with schizophrenia. METHODS: Tridimensional personality questionnaire(TFQ) for neurobiologically based personality characteristics assessment and Barron's ego strength test were administrated to 30 patients with schizophrenia who had good insight and 30 patients who had poor insight. Each group was also compared with 453 normal health controls. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between good and poor insight acquisition groups on ego strength. Poor insight acquisition group showed significantly higher reward dependence dimension on Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire than good insight acquisition group, though the other two personality dimensions showed no difference. The good insight group showed no difference on three TFQ dimensions from normal healthy control group. However, the poor insight group demonstrated higher score in reward dependence dimension than the healthy control group but not in the other two dimensions. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that neurobiologically determined personality characteristics rather than ego strength would be closely related with insight acquisition in schizophrenia. Reward dependence as groups of behavioral characteristics, mainly derived from central norepinephrine mediated behavior would be related with insight formation. The roles of norepinephrine in schizophrenia have not been lolly understood yet. Further understandings regarding insight formation process and role of norepinephrine In schizophrenia could give some clues on insight acquisition in patients with schizophrenia.
Ego ; Humans ; Norepinephrine ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Reward ; Schizophrenia*

The impacts from the bupropion on the brain structures have seldom been mentioned in the literature. The bupropion is a kind of antidepressant with dual action in the norepinephrine and dopamine receptors. Here we have a case to share about the bupropion-related effects in the brain structure.
Brain* ; Bupropion* ; Depression* ; Humans ; Norepinephrine ; Receptors, Dopamine

An in vitro pharmacologic study was conducted to investigate the effect of phentolamine on norepinephrine induced contraction of human corpus cavernosum. The isometric muscle tension of corpus cavernosum from 4 potent volunteers were recorded after stimulation with various concentrations of norepinephrine and phentolamine. The results are summarized as follows. Contractile response of corpus cavernosum was observed to begin in the concentration of 10(-6) M and to reach maximal level in the concentration of 10(-4)M norepinephrine. Compared to it, contractile activity of corpus cavernosum to norepinephrine was observed to be gradually decreased in response to pretreatment with phentolamine from 10(-6)M to 10(-4)M. These indicate that norepinephrine causes a dose dependent contraction of corpus cavernosum and phentolamine had a relaxant effect on norepinephrine-induced contraction of corpus cavernosum in dose dependent manner.
Humans ; Muscle Tonus ; Norepinephrine* ; Phentolamine* ; Volunteers

On the horizon there is a new class of psychoactive medications which work by inhibiting the neuronal reuptake of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. There are multiple potential indications for these drugs. Research suggests that they may have a role in treating depressive disorders, and it is plausible they may have potential efficacy in obesity, addiction, and pain syndromes. The current review describes some of the molecules in development presently and explores the research relevant to possible clinical uses for this class of medications.
Depressive Disorder ; Dopamine ; Neurons ; Norepinephrine ; Obesity ; Serotonin

Anti-adrenergic medication is very important to the treatment of chronic heart failure because a failing human heart is adrenergically activated. The increase in cardiac adrenergic drive and circulating norepinephrine are damaging to a failing heart. Certain beta-blockers have been shown to improve the cardiac function and symptoms and to reduce the risk of death and hospitalization in patients with heart failure. Recently, the third-generation beta-blockers have emerged for the treatment of heart failure. This article reviews the neurohormonal pathophysiology of heart failure and the different beta-blockers and their effects.
Heart Failure* ; Heart* ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Norepinephrine

No abstract available.
Animals ; Anoxia* ; Brain* ; Dopamine* ; Norepinephrine* ; Rats* ; Serotonin*

Isometric tension was recorded in uterine arterial ring preparation contracted by potassium (60 mM) and norepinephrine(1.8 X 10(-7) M). With pretreatment of various concentrations of nifedipine(2.9 x 10(-9) ~2.9 X10(-7) M) and verapamil(2.2 X 10(-7) -2.2 X 10(-5) M), the relaxation was dose-dependent and inhibitory effects of both agents were more marked on the potassium than norepinephrine-evoked contraction. After immersion of the arterial preparation in calcium-free solution, the potassium-evoked contraction was decreased to 21+/-4.1%(mean+/-SEM) of the response in normal Krebs solution and norepinephrine-evoked contraction to 26+/-3.8%. The responses to both agents were completely restored when the calcium concentration was increased to 4.0 mM. Pretreated nifedipine(2.9 x 10(-7) M) in calcium-free solution depressed the potassium-evoked contraction to 7.3+/-1.6% and norepinephrine-evoked contraction to 12+/-3.7%. In addition of calcium(0-4.0mM), the potassium-evoked contraction increased to 30+/-4.6% and that by norepinephrine to 45+/-5.4%. Pretreated verapamil(2.2 X 10(-5) M) in calcium-free solution depressed the potassium-evoked contraction to 14+/-3.6% and norepinephrine-evoked contraction to 18+/-3.3%. In addition of calcium(0-4.0mM), the potassium-evoked contraction increased to 41+/-4.2% and that by norepinephrine to 57+/-4.7%. It was concluded that nifedipine and verapamil relaxed KC1 contracted ring in the presence of external calcium and relaxed norepinephrine contracted ring in both the presence and absence of external calcium. These findings suggest that calcium antagonists interfere with the release of calcium from intracellular sites as well as with the slow inward current of calcium.
Calcium ; Humans* ; Immersion ; Nifedipine* ; Norepinephrine ; Potassium ; Relaxation ; Uterine Artery* ; Verapamil*