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

Histopathological effects due to elevation of blood pressure induced by norepinephrine and sodium chloride, and due to high cholesterol feeding were studied upon the arteries and various organs of rats for the evaluation of relationship between arteriosclerosis and hypertension. Blood pressure was generally elevated in all groups, but rose significantly, particularly in the groups receiving sodium chloride. This was especially abrupt at the end of 3 months. No particular gross nor histopathologic changes were found in the aorta, but variable alterations in the coronary and renal arteries including hypertrophic and proliferative changes were characteristically identified. Variable interesting changes of myocardium, kidneys and adrenal glands were also observed. The hypertrophic changes were especially due to hyalinosis in the vascular wall, and the proliferative changes in several cases were similiar to that noted in malignant hypertension. Induction of hypertension by norepinephrine and sodium chloride caused arterial changes such as hypertrophic changes, mainly hyalinosis, and proliferative and necrotizing changes especially in the renal and coronary arteries of rats.
Animals ; Arteries/*pathology ; Hypertension/*pathology ; Male ; Norepinephrine/*pharmacology ; Rats ; Sodium Chloride/*pharmacology

Anxiety disorders are a common mental illness that seriously endangered physical and mental health of human beings. The etiology of anxiety disorders is closely related to the abnormality of monoamines neurotransmitters, amino acids neurotransmitters and neuropeptides. The long-term use of anti-anxiety chemical drugs has some adverse effects, such as constipation, muscle relaxation, lethargy, tolerance and withdrawal symptoms. However, traditional Chinese medicines have advantages of multi-component, multi-target coordination, with less adverse reactions. Therefore, it is a promising prospect to develop novel anti-anxiety drugs from traditional Chinese medicines and formulas. This article reviewed some traditional Chinese medicines and formulas that can relieve anxiety symptoms. These include traditional Chinese medicines(Panax ginseng, Lycium ruthenium, Morus alba, Bupleurum plus dragon bone oyster soup, Chailong Jieyu Pills, and Naogongtai Formulas) with the effect on monoamine neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine; traditional Chinese medicines(Rehmannia glutinosa, Ziziphus jujuba Mill. var. spinosa, Jielv Anshen Decoction, Baixiangdan Capsules, Antianxietic Compound Prescription Capsules) with the effect on amino acid neurotransmitters, such as glutamic acid, γ-aminobutyrc acid; and traditional Chinese medicines(P. ginseng, Xiaoyao San, Shuyu Ningxin Decoction)with the effect on neuropeptide Y pathway, with the aim to provide theoretical basis for the further development of some novel and more effective anti-anxiety therapeutics from traditional Chinese medicine and formulas.
Anti-Anxiety Agents/pharmacology* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Neurotransmitter Agents ; Norepinephrine ; Serotonin

A large number of β-adrenergic receptor (β-AR) agonists and antagonists are widely used in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases and other diseases. Nonetheless, it remains unclear whether these commonly used β-AR drugs can activate downstream β- arrestin-biased signaling pathways. The objective of this study was to investigate β-arrestin2 recruitment effects of β-AR agonists and antagonists that were commonly used in clinical practice. We used TANGO (transcriptional activation following arrestin translocation) assay to detect the β-arrestin2 recruitment by β-AR ligands in HEK293 cell line (HTLA cells) stably transfected with tetracycline transactivator protein (tTA) dependent luciferase reporter and β-arrestin2-TEV fusion gene. Upon activation of β-AR by a β-AR ligand, β-arrestin2 was recruited to the C terminus of the receptor, followed by cleavage of the G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) fusion protein at the TEV protease-cleavage site. The cleavage resulted in the release of tTA, which, after being transported to the nucleus, activated transcription of the luciferase reporter gene. The results showed that β-AR non-selective agonists epinephrine, noradrenaline and isoprenaline all promoted β-arrestin2 recruitment at β1-AR and β2-AR. β1-AR selective agonists dobutamine and denopamine both promoted β-arrestin2 recruitment at β1-AR. β2-AR selective agonists procaterol and salbutamol promoted β-arrestin2 recruitment at β2-AR. β-AR non-selective antagonists alprenolol and pindolol promoted β-arrestin2 recruitment at β1-AR. β1-AR selective antagonists celiprolol and bevantolol showed β-arrestin2 recruitment at β1-AR. β2-AR selective antagonists butoxamine showed β-arrestin2 recruitment at β1-AR. These results provide some clues for the potential action of β-AR drugs, and lay a foundation for the screening of β-arrestin-biased β-AR ligands.
Humans ; beta-Arrestin 2/metabolism* ; HEK293 Cells ; Adrenergic beta-Agonists/pharmacology* ; Isoproterenol/pharmacology* ; Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-2/metabolism* ; Norepinephrine/pharmacology*

In an attempt to determine whether myocardial catecholamines vary from season to season, their concentration in rabbits was measured throughout the whole year by the spectrophotofluorometric method. The highest concentration of cardiac catecholamine was observed in summer. Measurement of the atrial response to norepinephrine revealed no significant alteration during the entire period of the experiment.
Animals ; Catecholamines/*analysis ; Heart/*drug effects ; Myocardium/*analysis ; Norepinephrine/*pharmacology ; Rabbits ; *Seasons

The catecholamine content was examined in the myocardium of dogs subjected to hemorrhagic hypotension of 40mmHg for a duration of one to hive hours respectively. No marked changes were noticed within two hours after production of homorrhagic hypotension but a significant reduction was found at the end of three hours of hypotension. The reduction of myocardial catecholamines was progressively pronounced with the prolonging the hypotensive period over three hours. Dogs were bled rapidly to an arterial blood pressure of 40mmHg and maintained at this hypotensive level for four hours, followed by reinfusion of the withdrawn blood. Eight out of 11 dogs succumbed within l2 hours, showing a 73 per cent mortality. The myocardial catecholamines in the surviving dogs returned almost to the normal level within 12-15 hours after the blood reinfusion, while those in the dogs which succumbed showed the same low level which was produced during hemorrhagic hypotension. It was also shown that the reduced myocardial catecholamines resulting from the hypotension will not be restored immediately after the reinfusion of the withdrawn blood. When norepinephrine was infused at a rate of five to seven microgram/kg/min for an hour before the reinfusion of the withdrawn blood, five out of six dogs died within 12 hours, showing a 82 per cent mortality. This result appears to indicate that norepinephrine infusion during oligemic hypotension may hasten death or not decrease the mortality of the animals. On the other hand, when norepinephrine was infused at a rate of three microgramkg/min for an hour following reinfusion of the withdrawn blood five out of 15 dogs died, indicating a significant increase of survival rate from hemorrhagic shock. The myocardial catecholamines of surviving dogs and dogs which succumbed following the administration of norepinephrine after blood reinfusion were similar respectively to those of dogs which survived and of dogs which died after blood reinfusion without norepinephrine. When norepinephrine (3 microgramkg/min) was infused for hour following blood reinfusion in the dogs pretreated with either dibenzyline (3mg/kg) or dichloroisoproterenol (1mg/kg), the beneficial effect of norepinephrine on the survival rate from hemorrhagic shock appeared to be absent. The efficacy of norepinephrine on the survival from hemorrhagic shock was discussed on the basis of myocardial catecholamine depletion.
Animals ; Catecholamines/*metabolism ; Dogs ; Epiphyses/*embryology ; Myocardium/*metabolism ; Norepinephrine/*pharmacology ; Shock, Hemorrhagic/*drug therapy

OBJECTIVEIn our study, the function of the third-order branches of the mesentenc artery was measured by microvascular ring technique, which can be used to detect microvascular function in some disease related to microvascular dysfunction.

METHODSIsolated, fixed, standardized and then activated the third-order branches of rat mesenteric artery. Microvascular tone was measured by systolic and diastolic drags respectively, with the help of DMT tension apparatus and PowerLab data acquisition system.

RESULTSThe third-order branches of rat mesenteric artery showed excellent response to vasoactive drugs. The contraction effect of norepinephrine (NE) reached 19 in mN. When acetylcholine (Ach) or sodium nitroprusside (SNP) of 10(9)-10(5)mol/L was added, vascular tones showed gradient drop: 80% of maximal relaxation when adding ACh, while 95% of maximal relaxation when adding SNP.

CONCLUSIONThe third-order branches of the mesenteric artery function was successfully detected by using microvascular ring technique.

Acetylcholine ; pharmacology ; Animals ; In Vitro Techniques ; Male ; Mesenteric Arteries ; drug effects ; physiology ; Nitroprusside ; pharmacology ; Norepinephrine ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Vasoconstrictor Agents ; pharmacology ; Vasodilation ; physiology ; Vasodilator Agents ; pharmacology

The aim of the present study was to investigate the roles of calcium-activated chloride channels (Cl(Ca)) in the two-phase hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction (HPV). The second pulmonary artery branches were dissected from male Sprague-Dawley rats, and the changes in vascular tone were measured by using routine blood vascular perfusion in vitro. The result showed that, under normoxic conditions, Cl(Ca) inhibitors (NFA and IAA-94) significantly relaxed second pulmonary artery contracted by norepinephrine (P < 0.01), but merely had effects on KCl-induced second pulmonary artery contractions. A biphasic contraction response was induced in second pulmonary artery ring pre-contracted with norepinephrine exposed to hypoxic conditions for at least one hour, but no biphasic contraction was observed in pulmonary rings pre-contracted with KCl. NFA and IAA-94 significantly attenuated phase II sustained hypoxic contraction (P < 0.01), and also attenuated phase I vasodilation, but had little effect on phase I contraction. These results suggest that Cl(Ca) is an important component forming phase II contraction in secondary pulmonary artery, but not involved in phase I contraction.
Animals ; Chloride Channels ; physiology ; Glycolates ; pharmacology ; Hypoxia ; physiopathology ; Male ; Norepinephrine ; pharmacology ; Pulmonary Artery ; physiopathology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Vasoconstriction ; Vasodilation

Anesthetics, Intravenous ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Aorta, Thoracic ; drug effects ; physiology ; Endothelium, Vascular ; physiology ; Female ; In Vitro Techniques ; Male ; Norepinephrine ; pharmacology ; Potassium Channels ; physiology ; Propofol ; pharmacology ; Rabbits ; Vasodilation ; drug effects

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of gastrodin in relaxing isolated thoracic aorta rings in rats and discuss its possible mechanism.

METHODIsotonic tension of isolated thoracic aortic rings in rats with norepineprine (NE) and KCl was recorded to observe the vasodilatory effect of gastrodin and the influence of various drugs on it.

RESULTGastrodin had the effect in relaxing thoracic aortas with or without endothelium, and there was no significant difference. NG-nitro-L-argininemethylester (L-NAME, 1 x 10(-4) mol x L(-1)), methylene blue (MB, 1 x 10(-5) mol x L(-1)), indomethacin (INDO, 1 x 10(-5) mol x L(-1)) had no effect on the vasodilation action of gastrodin on thoracic aortas precontracted by NE. 4-aminopyrimide (4-AP, 1 x 10(-4) mol x L(-1)), tetrathylamonium (TEA, 1 x 10(-3) mol x L(-1)), BaCl2 (1 x 10(-4) mol x L(-1)) and glibenclamide (Gli, 1 x 10(-5) mol x L(-1)) could inhibit gastrodin's effect in relaxing thoracic aorta rings. In the absence of Ca2+, pre-incubated gastrodin showed a notable inhibitory effect in relaxing NE contraction.

CONCLUSIONGastrodin shows a dose-dependent and endothelium-independent effect in relaxing rat isolated thoracic aorta rings. The mechanism is related to K+ channel, inhibition of release of Ca+ stored in endoplasmic reticulum of vascular smooth muscle cells and inflow of external calcium Ca2+.

Animals ; Aorta, Thoracic ; drug effects ; physiology ; Benzyl Alcohols ; pharmacology ; Calcium ; metabolism ; Endothelium, Vascular ; physiology ; Glucosides ; pharmacology ; In Vitro Techniques ; Male ; Norepinephrine ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Vasodilation ; drug effects