A METHOD FOR PHARMACOLOGICAL STUDIES ON ADRENALINE RELEASE FROM THE RAT ADRENAL

Abstract

Study on adrenaline release from the rat adrenal was performed by means of fluorometric determination of adrenaline in adrenal-venous blood specimens. The basal rate of adrenaline secretion under ether anesthesia was about 10 times that under pentobarbital anesthesia. Splanchnicotomy and spinal-transection prevented the secretion. Increase of adrenaline output was observed at doses of 0.125 to 0.5 mg/kg i.v. of nicotine under pentobarbital anesthesia, but under ether anesthesia increase of adrenaline secretion was not detected. Ether prevented the nicotine induced adrenaline release from splanchnicotomized rat adrenal, and this action was stronger than that of pentobarbital anesthesia. Morphine caused a marked adrenaline secretion under ether anesthesia and the action was dose responsive from 30 to 120 mg/kg i.p. as the hydrochloride salt. Splanchnicotomy largely prevented the increase of adrenaline release in response to morphine. These results provide a method for the study of drug effects on adrenaline release from rat adrenals.