The oxidation of adrenaline to the N-methylindolequinone, adrenochrome, is catalyzed by ferritin iron in the presence of Hz02 at acid pH (1). The mechanism of this reaction, which involves the intermediate formation of hydroxyl radicals and which does not require molecular oxygen, differs from that involved at neutral or slightly alkaline pH. Our present studies show that ferritin contains a po...

The uptake and utilization of [1-14C]glycerol was determined in pieces of rat epididymal fat-pads incubated in Krebs--Ringer bicarbonate buffer containing albumin. Insulin (200 muunits/ml), adrenaline (epinephrine; 0.5 mug/ml) and glucose (0, 5, 15 and 20 mM) were added to the medium. Changes in the specific radioactivity of the tracer during the incubation were taken into account in calculatin...

The beta-adrenoceptor subtype that mediates adrenaline-induced relaxation was pharmacologically identified in smooth muscle cells of the isolated guinea-pig trachea. Adrenaline produced a concentration-dependent relaxation with a pD(2) value of 7.1. The concentration-response curve for adrenaline was shifted rightwards in a competitive fashion by the beta(1)-/beta(2)-nonselective antagonists pr...

The effect of beta-adrenergic blockade with oxprenolol upon adrenaline-induced relaxation of strips of human sigmoid colon was investigated. Following blockade of beta-adrenoceptors with oxprenolol, adrenaline evoked dose-dependent contractions of both longitudinal and circular muscle strips. Storage of the tissues for periods up to 24 hours at 4 degrees C did not modify the responses to adrena...

Despite the large body of information on the role of corticosteroids in regulating lymphocyte and phagocyte function, the role of the hormone adrenaline in immunoregulation is an under-investigated topic. The present study has addressed the effects of adrenaline on the rates of utilization and oxidation of glucose and glutamine, the phagocytic capacity and the rate of superoxide production by r...

We read with great interest the article by Bestas et al1 entitled “The effect of adrenaline on desflurane-induced prolonged QTc interval: a randomized double-blind trial”, which is published in the current issue of European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences. The Authors1 investigated the effect of adrenaline on desflurane-induced prolonged corrected QT (QTc) interval. They mention...

1. Evidence from animal studies indicates that circulating adrenaline may be taken up into sympathetic nerves, facilitating the release of noradrenaline. To test whether adrenaline acts as a co-transmitter in humans we studied eight healthy men (aged 19-23 years) during isometric handgrip before and after an adrenaline infusion (1-3 micrograms/min for > 30 min). Sympathetic activity was assesse...

BACKGROUND Although adrenaline is recommended as first line treatment for anaphylaxis, it is often not utilized. There has been a debate about when adrenaline autoinjectors should be prescribed and how many should be dispensed. OBJECTIVES To see how many adrenaline autoinjectors were used during anaphylactic reactions and to determine why they were not used in situations where they were clini...

BACKGROUND The hypothesis that adrenaline can augment and/or prolong the antitussive effect of nebulised lignocaine was examined. METHODS The effect of inhaled lignocaine alone (20 mg) and in combination with adrenaline (400 micrograms) was studied on capsaicin-induced cough in 10 healthy subjects. RESULTS Cough was significantly reduced between five and 25 minutes by lignocaine. Adrenaline...

We have studied the effects of hydrocortisone and adrenaline on natural killer (NK) cell activity and on the distribution of circulating lymphocyte subpopulations in 30 patients undergoing elective partial laminectomy under general anaesthesia. The patients were allocated to receive adrenaline (group 1, n = 11), hydrocortisone and adrenaline (group 2, n = 11) or neither hydrocortisone nor adren...