catecholamine

Introduction

Includes:

• dopamine
• epinephrine
• norepinephrine

Hormones released by the adrenal medulla in response to stress.

Norepinephrine is also produced by post ganglionic fibers of the sympathetic nervous system & by melanin-pigmented cells in the locus ceruleus.

Dopamine is also produced by neurons in the ventral tegmental area & the substantia nigra.

Function

• hormones in circulating blood
• norepinephrine & dopamine also act as neurotransmitters
• intracellular effects mediated by G-protein linked receptors
  • adrenergic receptors
  • dopamine receptors

Pharmacokinetics

• protein binding ~ 50%
• 1/2 life of a few minutes
• metabolized by
  • catecholamine-0-methyltransferase (methylation)
  • monoamine oxidase (deamination)

More general terms

• amine
• catechol

More specific terms

• 3-methoxydopamine
• arbutamine
• benserazide (Serazide)
• carbidopa (Lodosyn)
• dopamine (Inotropin, Dopastat)
• droxidopa (Northera, L-DOPS)
• epinephrine; adrenaline (Sus-Phrine, Vapronefrin, Epifrin, Glaucon, Auvi-Q, Allerject)
• isoproterenol
• levodopa; L-3-hydroxytyrosine; L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine; L-dopa (Dopar, Larodopa, Inbrija)
• levonordefrin; alpha-methylnorepinephrine (Corbadrine, Neo-Cobefrin)
• metanephrine
• norepinephrine; noradrenaline (Levophed)
• normetanephrine

Additional terms

• catecholamine metabolism
• catecholamines in body fluid