• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.37-60
• /
• 1983

The uterus receives adrenergic terminals from the mesenteric ganglia and considerably large amount of catecholamines have been shown to be contained in this organ. On the other hand, the activities of epinephrine, norepinephrine or adrenergic nerve on uterine motility is so complicated that many controversial results have been reporter. Recently, a large number of reports concerning the changes of uterine catecholamines content have appeared, but little is known about the role of uterine catecholamines in their activities on uterine motility. The present experiments were undertaken to determine the significance of the intrinsic uterine catecholamines in the physiology of uterus. Female albino rabbits weighing approximately 2 kg were employed in this experiment. uterine strip3 were prepared and suspended in a constant temperature $bath(38^{\circ}C)$ containing 100 ml of Locke's solution aerated with 95% oxygen and 5% carbon dioxide. Spontaneous motility was recorded on a smoked drum with an isotonic lever. The catecholamines concentration of the uterus was determined according to the Procedure described of Shore and Olin (1958). Human uterus obtained from patients was also used to determine the catecholam ines content of myometrium. Followings are summarized results. 1) On the non-pregnant rabbit uterine strips, epinephrine and norepinephrine significantly elevated the tonus and stimulated the spontaneous motility. Pretreatment with dichloroisoproterenol(DCI), an adrenergic beta-receptor blocker, enhanced the stimulatory activity of epinephrine or norepinephrine. On the other hand, pretreatment with dibenamine, an adrenergic alpha-receptor blocker, rendered the uterine muscle to exhibit inhibition after the administration of epinephrine or norepinephrine. Following the treatment with both DCI and dibenamine, epinephrine or norepinephrine produced no appreciable effects on the spontaneous motility of the uterus. These results suggest there exist both alpha and beta-adrenergic receptors in the uterine muscle and the response to epinephrine of the former is predominant over that of latter in the non-pregnant uterus of rabbits. The total catecholamines concentration of the non-pregnant uterus was $351\;m{\mu}g/g$ and the fractional concentrations of epinephrine and norepinephrine were $125\;m{\mu}g/g(35.7%)$ and $226\;m{\mu}g/g$ respectively. It is interesting to note that the catecholamines content of uterus was characterized by a high fractional corcentration of epinephrine relative to norepinephrine. 2) On the pregnant rabbit uterine strips, the effects of epinephrine and norepinephrine varied according to the period of pregnancy. The response to epinephrine of adrenergic beta receptor of uterus increased during pregnancy, and the effect of catecholamine was inhibitory in the early pregnancy but became stimulatory as the pregnancy progressed. This stimulating action on the uterine motility was found to occur through the action of norepinephrine. The uterine catecholamines concentration was markedly reduced during pregnancy. The catecholamines concentration was started to decrease in the early pregnancy, reached the lowest level in the mid-pregnancy and then started to increaae again in the late pregnancy when the total catecholamines content became the highest level of all. This increase of catefholamines in late pregnancy was chiefly due to the increase of norepinephrine. These results suggest that the uterine motility may be related to the catecholamines content, especially norepinephrine content in the uterus. 3) Bilateral oophorectomy of rabbits results in a marked shrink of the uterus in size. The spontaneous motility of the uterine segment of these animals was very weak and irregular. Norepinephrine produced inhibitory effect, whereas epinephrine was stimulatory or inhibitory effect on the uterine segment. The total catecholamines tontent in whole uterus was markedly reduced. The injection of estrogen into the oophorectornized rabbit increased the weight of uterus to approximately three times of that of oophorectornized animal. The apontaneous motility and the response to epinephrine and norepinephrine of the uterine segment were greatly enhanced. Both epinephrine and norepinephrine produced a marked stimulatory effects of the uterine motility. The uterine content of catecholamines, particularly epinephrine, was markedly increased. The injection of progesterone into the oophorectornized rabbit increaeed the weight of uterus to approximately 2.5 times of that of eophorectornized animal. The spontaneous motility of the uterine segment was weak and irregular. Epinephrine produced stimulatory effect at high concentrations but norepinephrine always prcdnced inhibitory effect on the uterine segment. The uterine content of catecholamines, particularly of norepinephrine, was markedly reduced. These results suggested that ovarian hormones play an important role not only on the growth and spontaneous norepinephrine of uterus but also on the catecholamines content and responee to epinephrine and norepinephrine of the uterus. 4) The intraperitoneal injection of reserpine(3 mg/kg) into the non-pregnant, pregnant and oophorectornieed rabbits markedly decreased the uterine content of catecholamines, particularly of the norepinephrine. The stimulatory response to epinephrine and. norepinephrine of the uterine segment of these reserpinized ratbits was markedly reduced whereas the inhibitory response to these catecholamines was enhanced. This finding further support the close relationship between the uterine catecholamines content and uterine response to epineptrire and norepinephrine. 5) In the human uterus, the concentration of epinephrine was actrally greater than that of norepinephrine and it was significantly greater during the proliferative phase of the menstrtal cycle. In the human pregnant uterus, the concentrations of toth epinephrine and ncrefinephrine were markedly reduced and showed about 45 percent rednction after 6-8 weeks of ectopic Pregnancy. At full term ana during labor, the concentrations of epinephrine and norepinephrine at placental sites were less than those found in the non-pregnant group. Of interest was the finding that the norepinephrine concentration of uterus from toxemic patients was two and half times higher than that of lower uterine segment of the nontoxemic pregnant individuals. Also the epinephrine concentraticn was slightly increaeed.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
• /
• v.7 no.2
• /
• pp.567-577
• /
• 2000

In human body, catecholamines, such as epinephrine and norepinephrine, can be increased anxiety, blood pressure and pain etc. The inhibitory effects of TENS, electroacupuncture and massage on the release of epinephrine, norepinephrine from sympathetic nerve endings has already been known. However, the effects of silver spike point stimulation on the catecholamines was not well understood. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to characterize the SSP-induced inhibitory effects of catecholamines. The following results were obtained. (1) The studies on urinary catecholamines released that the levels of epinephrine and norepinephrine of continue type SSP stimulation group were significantly lower than those in the control group in human in vivo. (2) The dose-response curves of epinephrine and norepinephrine in rat aortic smooth muscle strips were increased dose dependent manner respectively. However, the contractile response of norepinephrine in rat aortic smooth muscle strips were slightly differentiated. It is concluded that the SSP stimulation reflects to the inhibitory effects of epinephrine and norepinephrine in men. Especially, we believe that the amplitude-frequency modulation, such as continue type a)1d frequency modulation type, of SSP stimulation plays a role in regulating catecholamines.

• Journal of fish pathology
• /
• v.9 no.1
• /
• pp.41-51
• /
• 1996

The present study was undertaken to investigate the physiological characteristics of the adrenergic responses in the tilapia dorsal aorta. Epinephrine, norepinephrine, clonidine and methoxamine in the presence of propranolol($3{\times}10^{-6}$M), induced only endothelium-independent and concentration-dependent vasocontractions in tilapia dorsal aorta. The rank order of potency of adrenergic agonists inducing vasocontraction was epinephrine>norepinephrine>phenylephrine>clonidine>ethoxamine, Yohimbine produced a parallel shift of the concentration-vascontraction curves of epinephrine, norepinephrine, phenylephrine and clonidine to the right, while prazosin depressed the maximum responses of epinephrine and norepinephrine. Calcium-free physiological solution and verapamil markedly reduced epinephrine or norepinephrine-induced vasocontractions. These results suggest that a-adrenergic agonists produce only on endothelium-inedpenent casoconstrictions in tilapia dorsal aorta and these effect of a-adrenergic agonists, which might be associated with both calcium release from intracellular stores and calcium influx through voltage-dependent calcium channel.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
• /
• v.3 no.1
• /
• pp.43-49
• /
• 1967

Supplemental studies were made on the adrenotropic receptors of the rat uterus, using adrenergic activators such as phenylephrine, norepinephrine, epinephrine, and isoproterenol and adrenergic blocking agents such as phenoxybenzamine and inderal. The studies have revealed the following results : 1. Phenylephrine, norepinephrine, epinephrine, and isoproterenol inhibited the spontaneous motility of the isolated rat uterus in the following order : Isoproterenol>epinephrine>norepinephrine>phenylephrine. 2. The inhibitory responses of the isolated rat uterus to phenylephrine and epinephrine were abolished by the pretreatment with phenoxybenzamine. 3. The inhibitory responses of the isolated rat uterus to isoproterenol and epinephrine were not affected by phenoxybenzamine. 4. The motility of the isolated rat uterus pretreated with inderal was stimulated by phenylephrine, norepinephrine and epinephrine. 5. The inhibitory responses of the isolated rat uterus to isoproterenol were abolished by the pretreatment with inderal. 6. The motility of the isolated rat uterus pretreated with inderal and phenoxybenzamine was not affected by phenylephrine, norepinephrine and epinephrine. 7. It is, therefore, concluded that the rat uterus has both alpha excitatory and beta inhibitory receptors, with beta inhibitory receptors predominating.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
• /
• v.25 no.3
• /
• pp.248-255
• /
• 1992

This study was performed to investigate the effects of dietary protein content on recovery of laparotomized rats in terms of urinary epinephrine and norepinephrine plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine, . Fortyeigh male Sprague Dawley rats average-weighing 160g were divided into two diet groups ; LPD(10% low protein diet) group HPD(25% high protein diet) group After 3 days of adaptation period rats were given experimental diet for 14 days. Experimental period consists of 7-days pre-trauma and 7-days post-trauma period. Rats were laparotomized by 4cm abdominal incision under sodium pentobarbital anesthesia. During 7-days before and after the surgery urine and plasma were collected for the analysis of epinephrine and norepine-phrine. The results are as follows: 1) After laparotomy urinary epinephrine level was not increased in two diet groups. Urinary epinephrine concentration of rats in LPD group was considerably increased in post-trauma day 3 and thereafter gradually reduced. By post-trauma day 4 however urinary epinephrine concentration of rats in HPD groups was recovered to pre-trauma level 2) Urinary norepinephrine concentration of rats in LPD group was significantly increased after trauma(p<0.01) and the difference between LPD and HPD in post-trauma average norepinephrine concentration was not significant. 3) Post-traum average plasma epinephrine concentration was higher but not significant than that of pre-truma average in both groups [LPD(19.88ng/ml vs 20.93ng/ml) HPD(17.20ng/ml vs 19.37ng/ml)] 4) Plasma norepinephrine concentration of rats in LPD group was significantly increased in post-trauma period(p<0.01) In HPD group however post-trauma average plasma norepi-nephrine concentration was significantly lower than pre-trauma average. Thus the results suggest that norepinehrine concentration was affected by trauma and rats in HPD group excreted less amount of norepinephrine than rats in LPD group.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
• /
• v.15 no.2
• /
• pp.15-24
• /
• 2008

Background: The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the norepinephrine－induced nociceptive effects by monitoring catecholamines and its metabolites in human body. Methods: To exam the antisympathetic effect from the healthy volunteer(male:15, female:15) by monitoring changes of epinephrine, norepinephrine, dopamine, metanephrine, normetanephrine, and others of urine, a comparative study with warm water immersion ($40.8{\pm}0.3^{\circ}C$) and infrared (250W) was carried out. Results: The urinalysis showed that the concentration of epinephrine and norepinephrine were significantly decreased by both warm water immersion－and infrared－stimulated group of urine in 24 hours. Conclusion: Therefore, these results suggest that the diminished responsiveness on the epinephrine and norepinephrine to warm water immersion and infrared in volunteer may be, in part, related by the increased of antisympathetic effects.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
• /
• v.22 no.2
• /
• pp.179-187
• /
• 1988

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of epinephrine and norepinephrine on basal gastric acid secretion and plasma gastrin and secretin concentration in the conscious rat. One hundred and eighty-four albino rats with gastric cannula were used after 18 hours or more of fast, with water ad libitum. In a restraint cage for collection of gastric juice, physiological saline (0.9% NaCl) was continuously infused into the jugular vein through a catheter for one hour at a rate of 1 ml/hr (control period). Immediately after the control period, epinephrine (1, 2, 4, 8 and $16{\mu}g/ml/hr)$, norepinephrine (1, 2, 4, 8 and $16{\mu}g/ml/hr)$ or physiological saline (1 ml/hr) was infused for another one hour. Gastric juice was collected at one hour interval for two hours infusion period. Adrenergic antagonists, phentolamine and propranolol were injected into the jugular vein 5 min prior to the infusion of epinephrine or norepinephrine at a dose of 0.2 mg/0.1 ml. Blood was sampled from the jugular vein for the radioimmunoassay of plasma gastrin and secretin after the collection of gastric juice. The results were as follows: 1) Both epinephrine and norephinephrine significantly increased gastric acid output in a dosedependent manner. 2) The effects of epinephrine and norepinephrine on the gastric acid secretion were antagonized by the pretreatment with phentolamine and propranolol. 3) Plasma gastrin and secretin concentrations were not significantly affected by the intravenous infusion of epinephrine and norepinephrine. It can be inferred from the above results that epinephrine and norepinephrine facilitate gastric acid secretion in conscious rats and the mechanism of which is attributed to ${\alpha}\;and\;{\beta}$ adrenergic receptors rather than gastrin and secretin.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.35-38
• /
• 1969

1. The sensibility of Fluta alba Zuiew to acetylcholine is more than ten times as strong as that of Ophicephalus argus Cantor which has been ever known as the most sensitive material. Fluta alba Zuiew is, therefore, considered as the best material for the bioassay of acetylcholine. 2. 5-hydorxytryptamine accelerates very much the heart activity of Misgurnus mizolepis Gunther but inhibits that of Fluta alba. 3. The sensibility of Fluta alba to norepinephrine is more than a hundred times as strong as that to epinephrine.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.237-240
• /
• 1991

Cortisol, epinephrine and norepinephrine concentration in the antecubital and internal spermatic vein were measured and compared each other in 22 varicocele patients to investigate a possible toxic role of these materials to cause impairment of the spermatogensis. The results were as follow. 1) There were no significant differences of cortisol, epinephrine and norepinephrine concentrations between in the internal spermatic vein and in the peripheral vein, 2) Also in 6 patients who showed the abnormal findings on semen analysis and 7 patients who showed the impaired spermatogenesis on testicular biopsy, no significant differences of cortisol epinephrine and norepinephrine concentration were found between in the peripheral vein and in the internal spermatic vein. Therefore, cortisol, epinephrine and norephrine are not regarded as toxic materials responsible for the impairment of spermatogenesis in varicocele.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
• /
• v.8 no.1
• /
• pp.41-47
• /
• 1972

The author studied the adrenotropic receptors of isolated vas deferens from Ditrema temmincki Bleeker, using adrenergic activators such as epinephrine, norepinephrine, isoproterenol and phenylephrine, and adrenergic blocking agents such as phenoxybenzamine and propranolol. The results are as follows: 1. The vas deferens was stimulated by epinephrine, norepinephrine and phenylephrine, but not affected by isoproterenol. 2. The excitatory effect of phenylephrine on the vas deferens was completely blocked by phenoxybenzamine, but more stimulated by propranolol. 3. The excitatory effects of epinephrine and norepinephrine were markedly reduced by phenoxybenzamine, but stimulated by propranolol. 4. The vas deferens pretreated with phenoxybenzamine and propranolol was not affected by epinephrine and norepinephrine. 5. The vas deferens was not affected by isoproterenol and also not affected by the pretreatment with either kind of blocking agent plus isoproterenol. 6. It seemed that the vas deferens had both alpha-excitatory receptor and beta-receptor, but it was difficult to detect the character of beta-receptor whether it was inhibitory or excitatory.