Abstract
Ephedrine was intravenously administered in doses of 15, 30 and 70 mgrms. per kilo into the dogs provided with the lumbar route preparation without fastening, narcotizing, or laparotomizing. The epinephrine in the suprarenal vein blood was measured usually by means of the rabbit intestine segment method, and on occasions, parallel with the paradoxical cat eye reaction.
All the doses were capable of producing an increase of the arterial blood pressure and of the blood sugar, and of about the same magnitude throughout various doses. It was of rather small scale and short duration. When a small amount of the drug, such as 15 mgrms. per kilo, was given, the rate of the epinephrine liberation underwent only insignificant alterations. Their direction harmonizes with the effects of the changes of the blood pressure and of the blood sugar upon the epinephrine discharge, the doctrine which is deducible from the experiments with peptone, haemorrhage and adrenaline. Heavy doses induced a conspicuous liberation of epinephrine from the suprarenal gland; it became more remarkable with the lapse of time, while the vascular and glycaemic responses were apt to decline rapidly in some cases, and slowly in others. Only in a single case did the epinephrine discharge rate and the blood sugar content change concurrently.
The changes in the epinephrine output rate, occasioned by heavy dosing can seemingly be usually associated with the depressive state of the animals, the rapid clotting, and darkness of the blood.
