adrenaline

[ə′dren·əl·ən]

(biochemistry)

The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Adrenaline

(also epinephrine), a hormone of the medullary layer of the adrenal glands which plays an important part in the vital activity of animals and man. Adrenaline is a pyrocatechol derivative, l-methylaminoethanolpyro-catechol, with a molecular weight of 183.2. It is white, crystalline, and optically active. Soluble in hot water, acids, and bases, it is unstable and readily forms various transformation products. Adrenaline was isolated in 1901 and synthesized in 1905. It is formed from the amino acids phenylalanine and tyrosine in the chromaffinic (easily stained) granules of the adrenal glands, from where it is secreted into the bloodstream. The precursor of adrenaline in the organism is noradrenaline, a transmitter (mediator) of nerve impulses in the sympathetic nervous system.

Upon entering the blood, the adrenaline raises the oxygen consumption of organs and tissues and participates in the mobilization of glycogen, the cleavage of which leads to an increase of the sugar level in the blood (hyperglycemia). Adrenaline stimulates protein, carbohydrate, fat, and mineral metabolism; raises arterial blood pressure (primarily by constricting the small peripheral blood vessels); increases heart and respiration rates and the force of cardiac contractions; slows intestinal peristalsis; and so forth. Adrenaline content of the blood rises during emotional stress, increased muscular work, choking, chilling, and lowering of the sugar level in the blood (hypoglycemia). A number of diseases of the internal organs, the nervous system, the endocrine glands, and of other parts of the body are accompanied by an increase or decrease of the adrenaline content in the organism, which can complicate the course of the disease.

Adrenaline for therapeutic purposes is obtained from the adrenal glands of animals and also synthetically. An adrenaline hydrochloride solution is administered subcutaneously during drops in blood pressure and in cases of bronchial asthma and other allergic diseases, in local anesthesia, and for exsanguinating wounds during surgery. Sometimes it is used locally to stop bleeding. Adrenaline is contraindicated in cases of hypertension, atherosclerosis, and severe organic heart diseases.

REFERENCES

Adrenalin i noradrenalin. [Lectures of the conference held Dec. 1–3, 1962.] Moscow, 1964.
Matlina, E. Sh., and V. V. Men’shikov. Klinicheskaia biokhimiia katekholaminov. Moscow, 1967.

G. N. KASSIL’

Mentioned in

References in periodicals archive

Adrenaline 1:1000 up to 1mg for intramuscular use in anaphylaxis is listed under this Schedule.

NPA - Adrenaline auto-injectors patient safety update

Exclusion criteria consisted of American Society of Anaesthesiologists grade IV (ASA-IV) or higher physical status, severe ischaemia and/or cardiac valvular disease, revision cases, collagen vascular disease, bilateral knee joint arthroplasty, hypersensitivity to TXA or adrenaline, coagulopathy, history of the thromboembolic disease and renal dysfunction (serum creatinine level >1.5 g/dl).

A comparison of the effects on postoperative bleeding of the intra-articular application of tranexamic acid and adrenalin in total knee arthroplasty

Later, adrenaline auto injector trainers that did not include drug (adrenaline) and needle (EpiPen[R] trainers and Penepin[R]) were given and the parents were asked to demonstrate how to use them.

Comparison of practical application steps of the previously used adrenaline auto injector in Turkey (EpiPen) and the currently available adrenaline auto injector (Penepin): a multi-center study

Observational studies, involving over 500,000 patients, have reported worse long-term survival and more brain damage among survivors who were treated with adrenaline.

Uni of Warwick research reveals shocking danger of cardiac arrest treatment; The discovery could mean big changes for future treatment

Table 1 shows a comparison of blood glucose concentration between plain lignocaine and lignocaine with adrenaline in type 2 diabetic patients.

EVALUATION OF BLOOD GLUCOSE CONCENTRATION IN PATIENTS WITH DIABETES UNDERGOING TOOTH EXTRACTION AFTER ADMINISTRATION OF LOCAL ANESTHESIA WITH OR WITHOUT ADRENALINE

As part of the blog launch, Daniel worked with two artists to illustrate both the wrong and right way to administer an EpiPen, saying: "It really annoyed me that in movies they always portray administering the adrenaline auto-injector incorrectly.

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"Even if there was a 10% chance that adrenaline would have helped Trudy, we would have taken it, but we weren't given the chance.

How many others have died whose relatives didn't know they were part of this trial? FAMILY'APPALLED' TO LEARN TRUDY WAS GIVEN PLACEBO AS SHE LAY DYING AFTER CARDIAC ARREST

* use the adrenaline auto-injector at the first signs of a severe allergic reaction

Adrenaline auto-injectors: updated advice after European review

In the first and, to date, only randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of adrenaline in patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), Jacobs et al .[sup][16] reported a significant increase in ROSC associated with epinephrine and a nonsignificant increase in survival to hospital discharge or worse neurological outcomes in patients administered epinephrine.

Epinephrine in Out-of-hospital Cardiac Arrest: Helpful or Harmful?

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"There's a heck of a lot of adrenaline stress," she adds.

Rooting out mind patterns

As Mother Nature would have it, our bodies produce adrenaline and noradrenaline, two separate yet related hormones and neurotransmitters.

What happens when you're under stress