Synonyms
Adrenalin; Adrenaline
Indications
Epinephrine (E), also called adrenalin, is a sympathomimetic monoamine neurotransmitter that acts as a hormone. It is a catecholamine, derived from the amino acids phenylalanine and tyrosine, and released from the adrenal medulla. In 1895, the Polish physiologist, Napoleon Cybulski discovered E in the adrenal gland. In 1901, a Japanese chemist, Jokichi Takamine, isolated the same hormone from cow glands. And in 1904, Friedrich Stolz first artificially synthesized E.
E shares common pathways with catecholamines, dopamine, and norepinephrine. During times of stress, the splanchnic nerves in the adrenal medulla stimulate the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) to release E and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). ACTH activates the adrenal cortex to produce the stress-reactive hormone, cortisol. This process interacts with the synthesis of E. Tyrosine hydroxylase converts tyrosine to l-dopa. L-dopa synthesizes dopamine via dopa decarboxylase, and...
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Sanzone, M. (2018). Epinephrine. In: Kreutzer, J.S., DeLuca, J., Caplan, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Clinical Neuropsychology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57111-9_1654
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