Sympathetic arborizations act as the essential efferent signals in regulating the metabolism of peripheral organs including white adipose tissues (WAT). However, whether these local neural structures would be of plastic nature, and how such plasticity might participate in specific metabolic events of WAT, remains largely uncharacterized. In this study, we exploit the new volume fluorescence-imaging technique to observe the significant, and also reversible, plasticity of intra-adipose sympathetic arborizations in mouse inguinal WAT in response to cold challenge. We demonstrate that this sympathetic plasticity depends on the cold-elicited signal of nerve growth factor (NGF) and TrkA receptor. Blockage of NGF or TrkA signaling suppresses intra-adipose sympathetic plasticity, and moreover, the cold-induced beiging process of WAT. Furthermore, we show that NGF expression in WAT depends on the catecholamine signal in cold challenge. We therefore reveal the key physiological relevance, together with the regulatory mechanism, of intra-adipose sympathetic plasticity in the WAT metabolism.
Adipose Tissue, Beige ; cytology ; diagnostic imaging ; innervation ; metabolism ; Animals ; Catecholamines ; metabolism ; Cold Temperature ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Mice ; Nerve Growth Factor ; metabolism ; Neuronal Plasticity ; Receptor, trkA ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction ; Sympathetic Nervous System ; physiology

OBJECTIVEPostural tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is one of the major causes of orthostatic intolerance in children. We systematically reviewed the pathogenesis and the progress of individualized treatment for POTS in children.

DATA SOURCESThe data analyzed in this review are mainly from articles included in PubMed and EMBASE.

STUDY SELECTIONThe original articles and critical reviews about POTS were selected for this review.

RESULTSStudies have shown that POTS might be related to several factors including hypovolemia, high catecholamine status, abnormal local vascular tension, and decreased skeletal muscle pump activity. In addition to exercise training, the first-line treatments mainly include oral rehydration salts, beta-adrenoreceptor blockers, and alpha-adrenoreceptor agonists. However, reports about the effectiveness of various treatments are diverse. By analyzing the patient's physiological indexes and biomarkers before the treatment, the efficacy of medication could be well predicted.

CONCLUSIONSThe pathogenesis of POTS is multifactorial, including hypovolemia, abnormal catecholamine state, and vascular dysfunction. Biomarker-directed individualized treatment is an important strategy for the management of POTS children.

Adrenergic alpha-Agonists ; therapeutic use ; Adrenergic beta-Antagonists ; therapeutic use ; Catecholamines ; metabolism ; Humans ; Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; therapy

BACKGROUNDShen-Fu injection (SFI) can attenuate ischemia-reperfusion injury, protect cardiac function, and improve microcirculation during cardiopulmonary resuscitation. We hypothesized that SFI may also have an influence on myocardial metabolism during ventricular fibrillation (VF). In this study, we used SFI pretreatment prior to VF to discuss the changes of myocardial metabolism and catecholamine (CA) levels during untreated VF, trying to provide new evidence to the protection of SFI to myocardium.

METHODSTwenty-four pigs were divided into three groups: Saline group (SA group), SFI group, and SHAM operation group (SHAM group). Thirty minutes prior to the induction of VF, the SFI group received 0.24 mg/ml SFI through an intravenous injection; the SA group received an equal amount of sodium chloride solution. The interstitial fluid from the left ventricle (LV) wall was collected through the microdialysis tubes during VF. Adenosine diphosphate (ADP), adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and Na + -K + -ATPase and Ca2 + -ATPase enzyme activities were measured after untreated VF. Peak-to-trough VF amplitude and median frequency were analyzed for each of these 5-s intervals.

RESULTSThe levels of glucose and glutamate were lower after VF in both the SA and SFI groups, compared with baseline, and the levels in the SFI group were higher than those in the SA group. Compared with baseline, the levels of lactate and the lactate/pyruvate ratio increased after VF in both SA and SFI groups, and the levels in the SFI group were lower than those in the SA group. In both the SA and SFI groups, the levels of dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine increased significantly. There were no statistical differences between the two groups. The content of ATP, ADP, and phosphocreatine in the SFI group was higher than those in the SA group. The activity of LV Na + -K + -ATPase was significantly higher in the SFI group than in the SA group. Amplitude mean spectrum area (AMSA) was significantly lower in the SA and SFI groups at 8- and 12-min compared with 4-min. The AMSA in the SFI group was higher than that in the SA group at each time point during untreated VF.

CONCLUSIONSSFI pretreatment can improve myocardial metabolism and reduce energy exhaustion during VF, and it does not aggravate the excessive secretion of endogenous CAs.

Animals ; Catecholamines ; metabolism ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Energy Metabolism ; Extracellular Fluid ; metabolism ; Female ; Injections, Intravenous ; Male ; Myocardium ; metabolism ; Swine ; Ventricular Fibrillation ; drug therapy ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of catecholamine hormone on the blood and brain of heroin addicts.

METHODSRats were divided into three groups and treated with the glucose (control group), the heroin (im) (heroin group), and the combination of the intramuscular injection of reserpine and heroin (reserpine group). Changes in the levels of the dopamine (DA), cAMP, and cGMP were detected by the radioimmunoassay (RIA) method in the blood and brain tissue.

RESULTSNo significant withdrawal symptoms were observed in the reserpine group. Compared with the control and heroin groups, the blood cAMP levels were increased by 35.36% and 15.53% in the reserpine group, respectively; the cAMP levels in the midbrain ventral tegmental area (VTA), prefrontal cortex (PFC), and hippocampus (Hipp) were increased by 24.08% & 8.53%, 15.66% & 8.13%, and 21.95% & 8.40%, respectively. While compared to the control and heroin groups, the DA levels of the PFC, Hipp, striatum, and nucleus accumbens (NAc) were significantly reduced in the reserpine group, decreasing by 74.09% & 82.86%, 81.06% & 82.23%, 91.62% & 86.55% and 84.35% & 90.63%, respectively. The concentrations of cGMP of the brain tissues in the reserpine group were lower than those in the control group. In addition, the neural electrophysiological testing showed that the electroencephalogram (EEG), electrocardiogram (ECG), and muscle spindle discharge diagram of rats in both the reserpine and heroin groups were apparently changed.

CONCLUSIONCatecholamine hormone plays an important role in heroin addiction.

Animals ; Brain ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Catecholamines ; physiology ; Cyclic AMP ; blood ; metabolism ; Cyclic GMP ; blood ; metabolism ; Dopamine ; blood ; metabolism ; Heroin Dependence ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

OBJECTIVETo analyze the clinical characteristics of the patient with tyrosine hydroxylase deficiency, and investigate it's molecular mechanism.

METHODThe clinical characteristics of a patient with tyrosine hydroxylase deficiency were summarized and analyzed, his and his family's peripheral blood specimens were collected after informed consent was signed. All exons and the intron-exon boundaries of guanosine triphosphate hydroxylase I gene, tyrosine hydroxylase gene and sepiapterin reductase gene were examined by DNA-PCR, bi-directional sequencing.

RESULTThe patient was a 3-year-old boy, presented with unexplained dystonia for 3 years, without significant impairment of intelligence. Physical examination showed limb muscle strength grade V, rigidity of extremities, hypertonicity, brisk deep tendon reflexes in limbs, without obvious abnormalities in auxiliary examination, such as brain MRI, hepatic biochemical panel, creatine kinase, and ceruloplasmin. He dramatically responded to small doses of levodopa in the follow-up for half a year. A homozygous missense change in exon 5 of TH gene, c.605G > A (p.R202H), which was a known pathogenic mutation, was found in the patient. His parents were heterozygous for the R202H mutation.

CONCLUSIONThe age of onset in tyrosine hydroxylase deficiency patients is usually within the first year of life. Unexplained dystonia and hypokinesia were the main clinical features of tyrosine hydroxylase deficiency. The dopa-responsive effects for some patients are so obvious that we should strengthen awareness of the disease. TH gene c.605G > A (p.R202H) may be a common type of causative mutations for the mild form at home and abroad.

Brain ; metabolism ; pathology ; Catecholamines ; biosynthesis ; Child, Preschool ; DNA ; genetics ; DNA Mutational Analysis ; Dopamine Agents ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Dystonic Disorders ; drug therapy ; genetics ; metabolism ; Homozygote ; Humans ; Hypokinesia ; drug therapy ; genetics ; metabolism ; Levodopa ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Muscle Rigidity ; drug therapy ; genetics ; metabolism ; Mutation, Missense ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase ; deficiency ; genetics ; metabolism

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVEFunctional paraganglioma of the urinary bladder (FPUB) is a rare tumor. Misdiagnosis of FPUB before operation can lead to serious intraoperative consequences. In this article, we reported our experience in preoperative diagnosis and surgical treatment of FPUB.

METHODSClinical data of nine patients with FPUB treated between June 1985 and January 2009 at Peking Union Medical College Hospital were analyzed.

RESULTSAll patients underwent urinary catecholamine (CA) detection, B-ultrasound, CT and/or MRI scan; 5 underwent nailfola microcirculation inspection; 4 underwent 131I-metaiodobenzyl guanidine (MIBG) detection; and 6 underwent 111In-DTPA-Octreotide (OCT) scintiscan. According to the UICC bladder tumor classification, 5 patients had T2, 3 had T3, and 1 had T4 disease. All patients underwent surgical treatment, and 1 received 131I-MIBG therapy. All patients had paroxysmal hypertension and palpitation and six had cold sweat, headache, and dizziness after emphatic urination. The definitive diagnosis was made by histopathologic examination of the removed tumors and was confirmed in 7 cases by the immunohistochemical staining of chromogranin A, Ki-67 and S100 protein. The tumor consisted of discrete aggregates of zellballen cells separated by a network of vascular channels. One patient had metastases in the pelvic lymph nodes, liver and colon. Follow-up ranged from 7 to 289 months (mean, 127.2 ± 34.2). Six of the nine cases reported here were found in the usual locations. One patient had multiple tumors. The catecholamine level was elevated under basal conditions in 8 patients and during endoscopic resection of the tumor in 1 patient; it returned to normal after surgery in 8 patients. Three patients had recurrence and 1 had metastasis following surgery.

CONCLUSIONSEarly preoperative diagnosis of FPUB is difficult, but it should be suspected in patients with typical tetrad symptoms: headache and micturition syncope, sweating, palpitation and hematuria. In those patients with unresectable multiple tumors, medicine and 131I-MIBG therapy may be helpful for controlling hypertension and delaying disease progression. Advanced classification (≥T3), multifocal tumors and CgA expression are risk factors of recurrence and metastasis.

3-Iodobenzylguanidine ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Catecholamines ; urine ; Chromogranin A ; metabolism ; Cystectomy ; methods ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Ki-67 Antigen ; metabolism ; Liver Neoplasms ; secondary ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Neoplasm Staging ; Paraganglioma ; diagnosis ; secondary ; surgery ; urine ; S100 Proteins ; metabolism ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; surgery ; urine ; Young Adult

Adolescent ; Catecholamines ; secretion ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; Paraganglioma, Extra-Adrenal ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; Stomach Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; metabolism

AIMTo provide further evidence for the synthesis of catecholamines (CAs) in lymphocytes and to investigate the effect of the endogenous CAs synthesized by lymphocytes on function of the lymphocytes themselves and the receptor mechanisms involved in the effect.

METHODSRT-PCR was performed to detect the expression of TH mRNA in the lymphocytes from the mesenteric lymph nodes of rats. Different concentrations of pargyline, an inhibitor of monoamine oxydase, and antagonists of alpha1-, alpha2-, beta1-, and beta2-adrenergic receptor (AR) were added to the lymphocyte cultures, and then proliferative response of the lymphocytes to mitogen concanavalin A (Con A) were measured via methyl-thiazole-tetrazolium (MTT) assay.

RESULTSThe lymphocytes could express TH mRNA, and the expression of TH mRNA was significantly higher in the Con A-activated lymphocytes than in the resting ones. The treatment of pargyline of 10(-6) and 10(-5) mol/L (not 10(-7) mol/L) notably attenuated Con A-induced lymphocyte proliferation. Beta2-AR antagonist ICI118551 (10(-7) and 10(-6) mol/L) completely blocked, but alpha1-AR antagonist corynanthine and alpha2-AR antagonist yohimbine (10(-7) and 10(-6) mol/L) partly blocked the suppressive effect of pargyline on the Con A-induced lymphocyte proliferation. Nevertheless, atenolol, an antagonist of beta1-AR, had no blocking effect on pargyline inhibition of lymphocyte proliferation.

CONCLUSIONLymphocytes have the ability to synthesize CAs and the ability is enhanced in the activated lymphocytes. The endogenous CAs synthesized by lymphocytes can inhibit T cell proliferation and the inhibition of T cells by the CAs is mediated predominantly by beta2-AR on the lymphocytes.

Animals ; Catecholamines ; biosynthesis ; physiology ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Concanavalin A ; pharmacology ; Female ; Lymphocyte Activation ; Lymphocytes ; metabolism ; Male ; Neuroimmunomodulation ; physiology ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, Adrenergic, beta ; physiology ; T-Lymphocytes ; cytology ; immunology ; Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase ; genetics ; metabolism

We investigated the effect of phenylephrine (PE)- and isoproterenol (ISO)-induced cardiac hypertrophy on subcellular localization and expression of caveolin-3 and STAT3 in H9c2 cardiomyoblast cells. Caveolin-3 localization to plasma membrane was attenuated and localization of caveolin-3 to caveolae in the plasma membrane was 24.3% reduced by the catecholamine-induced hypertrophy. STAT3 and phospho-STAT3 were up-regulated but verapamil and cyclosporin A synergistically decreased the STAT3 and phospho-STAT3 levels in PE- and ISO-induced hypertrophic cells. Both expression and activation of STAT3 were increased in the nucleus by the hypertrophy. Immunofluorescence analysis revealed that the catecholamine-induced hypertrophy promoted nuclear localization of pY705-STAT3. Of interest, phosphorylation of pS727-STAT3 in mitochondria was significantly reduced by catecholamine-induced hypertrophy. In addition, mitochondrial complexes II and III were greatly down-regulated in the hypertrophic cells. Our data suggest that the alterations in nuclear and mitochondrial activation of STAT3 and caveolae localization of caveolin-3 are related to the development of the catecholamine-induced cardiac hypertrophy.
Animals ; Catecholamines/*pharmacology ; Caveolae/*metabolism ; Caveolin 3/*metabolism ; Cell Line ; Hypertrophy/metabolism ; Mitochondria/*metabolism ; Myocardium/cytology/*pathology ; Myocytes, Cardiac/cytology/*drug effects/metabolism ; Rats ; STAT3 Transcription Factor/*metabolism

Catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT) is a familial cardiac arrhythmia that is related to RYR2 or CASQ2 gene mutation. It occurs in patients with structurally normal heart and causes exercise-emotion-triggered syncope and sudden cardiac death. We experienced a case of CPVT in an 11 year-old female patient who was admitted for sudden cardiovascular collapse. The initial electrocardiogram (ECG) on emergency department revealed ventricular fibrillation. After multiple defibrillations, sinus rhythm was restored. However, recurrent ventricular fibrillation occurred during insertion of nasogastric tube without sedation in coronary care unit. On ECG monitoring, bidirectional ventricular tachycardia occurred with sinus tachycardia and then degenerated into ventricular fibrillation. To our knowledge, there has been no previous case report of CPVT triggered by sinus tachycardia in Korea. Therefore, we report the case as well as a review of the literature.
Catecholamines/*metabolism ; Child ; Electrocardiography ; Female ; Humans ; Tachycardia, Ventricular/*diagnosis/genetics/pathology