Norepinephrine: hormone and neurotransmitter in man.

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Silverberg AB, Shah SD, Haymond MW, Cryer PE

Norepinephrine: hormone and neurotransmitter in man.

Am J Physiol. 1978 Mar;234(3):E252-6.

PubMed ID

24347 [ View in PubMed

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Abstract

To determine whether norepinephrine could subserve a hormonal as well as a neurotransmitter function, norepinephrine was infused for 60 min into each of five normal young men in doses of 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 2.5, and 5.0 microgram/min. After infusion, the plasma norepinephrine concentration fell with a mean (+/-SD) half-time of 2.4 +/- 0.7 min. The mean (+/-SD) norepinephrine metabolic clearance rate was 3,070 +/- 200 ml/min. The calculated basal plasma norepinephrine production rate was 0.7 microgram/min. The blood pressure and circulating glycerol, acetoacetate, beta-hydroxybutyrate, and glucose (increased) and the heart rate and circulating insulin, lactate, pyruvate, and alanine (decreased) exhibited highly significant parabolic relationships with the steady-state plasma norepinephrine concentrations. However, norepinephrine levels in excess of 1,800 pg/ml were required to produce hemodynamic and/or metabolic effects. Thus, under usual conditions, the biologic actions of norepinephrine can be attributed only to its sympathetic neurotransmitter function. Plasma norepinephrine concentrations do at times exceed 1,800 pg/ml during exercise and during major acute illness. Thus, under conditions of stress, norepinephrine may subserve a hormonal, as well as a neurotransmitter, function.

DrugBank Data that Cites this Article

Pharmaco-metabolomics

Drug	Drug Groups	Metabolite	Change	Description
Norepinephrine	Approved	Glycerol	increased	Norepinephrine increases the level of Glycerol in the blood
Norepinephrine	Approved	Acetoacetate	increased	Norepinephrine increases the level of Acetoacetate in the blood
Norepinephrine	Approved	Beta-hydroxybutyrate	increased	Norepinephrine increases the level of Beta-hydroxybutyrate in the blood
Norepinephrine	Approved	Glucose	increased	Norepinephrine increases the level of Glucose in the blood