Page contents
- What is catecholamines?
- symptoms
- Causes and risk factors
- Multiples
- Diagnosis
- treatment
- protection
The sympathetic nervous system includes the adrenal medulla and ganglions, and consists of two types of cells: the chromaffin cells in the adrenal gland, and the neurons of these cells are responsible for the production of catecholamines.
Types of catecholamines
The most important types of catecholamines are:
- Dopamine: A neurotransmitter that affects movement, feelings, and memory.
- Epinephrine: or what is known as adrenaline, of which the adrenal gland produces the largest part.
- Norepinephrine: or noradrenaline, which is formed primarily in the terminals of the sympathetic nerves of the central nervous system.
Method of production of catecholamines
The main pathway for the production of catecholamines occurs through the amino acid tyrosine, and an intermediate substance known as DOPA is converted into dopamine. Norepinephrine, while the last stop in this pathway is the production of epinephrine.
Both of these major types of catecholamines are stored in chromium granules in the adrenal gland until they are secreted into the bloodstream.
The storage method in the form of granules protects them from degradation, since they are attached to the molecule ATP, but when released into the blood, they are rapidly degraded by various enzymes.
The function of catecholamines in the body
Catecholamines affect the heart and circulatory system, with norepinephrine affecting blood pressure and heart rate.
Catecholamines are selectively released from the adrenal gland in syncope and severe hypoglycemia following insulin overdose.
On the other hand, norepinephrine is selectively released from sympathetic nerve cells in cases of intense and dynamic physical exertion. The normal level of norepinephrine in the blood plasma ranges between 200 - 1000 pg per milliliter, and it can affect blood pressure and heart rate only when its level reaches 1000 - 2000 pg. / milliliters.
When norepinephrine is administered intravenously into the blood, it leads to a sharp rise in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure through the narrowing of blood vessels that it causes, accompanied by a decrease in the heart rate caused by its interaction with alpha-adrenoceptors. And beta (Alpha adrenergic and Beta adrenergic receptors).
What causes catecholamines to be released into the blood?
Catecholamines are released into the blood in the following cases:
- Reduction of Blood pressure.
- Hypoxia in tissues.
- exposure to cold
- Excessive muscle effort.
- the pain.
- Emotional disturbances.
How to get rid of catecholamines
Most of the catecholamines are eliminated by the liver, and the final breakdown product is vanillylmandelic acid, which is eliminated by the body through excretion in the urine.
Symptoms of catecholamines
Symptoms vary according to the type of disorder that occurs for the different types of catecholamines, which are as follows:
1. Symptoms of high dopamine in the blood
The most prominent symptoms of high dopamine in the blood are the following:
- Excessive salivation.
- digestive problems;
- nausea.
- Hyperactivity.
- anxiety.
- Insomnia.
- Depression.
- Schizophrenia.
2. Symptoms of high adrenaline in the blood
The most prominent symptoms of high adrenaline in the blood:
- anxiety.
- Rapid heartbeat.
- Heart palpitations.
- shiver;
- Hypertension.
- sweating;
- Low weight.
- severe headache;
3. Symptoms of high norepinephrine in the blood
Symptoms of high norepinephrine include:
- Panic attacks.
- Hyperactivity.
- shiver;
- sweating;
- Hypertension.
- Arrhythmia.
- pale skin;
- headache;
- Kidney or heart damage.
4. Symptoms of low norepinephrine in the blood
The most prominent symptoms of low norepinephrine in the blood are the following:
- Reduction of Blood pressure.
- energy loss.
- Distraction of focus.
- Depression.
Causes and risk factors for catecholamines
There are several pathological conditions that cause a change in the levels of catecholamines in the body, which are as follows:
1. Pheochromocytoma
The clinical condition in which a tumor forms in the adrenal chromium pet cells is a pathological condition known as pheochromocytoma, which leads to very high levels of catecholamines in the blood and consequently to high blood pressure, sometimes to very high levels.
In about 10% of cases in which this tumor is diagnosed, the tumor is also present in the chromatids of other areas outside the adrenal gland.
This tumor is generally benign if it is confined to the adrenal gland, but in about a third of these cases the tumor is also outside the adrenal gland and then the tumor is malignant.
The prevalence of pheochromocytoma is less than 1000:1, primarily in ages 30-60 years.
Despite their very small size, these tumors produce large amounts of catecholamines, which causes a sharp rise in blood pressure, which may persist permanently in some patients, while it may appear and disappear in others.
Different patients may have tachycardia, flushing of the face, angina pectoris, abdominal pain sometimes accompanied by nausea and vomiting, vision disturbances, nervous feeling paresthesia, or pinching of the extremities, and sometimes a feeling of panic and anxiety, in addition to elevated levels of catecholamines in the urine may appear when The occurrence of a seizure, high levels of sugar in the blood and urine, in addition to a high hematocrit, and an increase in the number of white blood cells, especially neutrophils, and it is rare for the removal of the two adrenal glands to lead to a state of catecholamine deficiency.
2. Diabetes
In people with diabetes who are treated with insulin, drug-induced hypoglycemia stimulates the action of epinephrine in parallel with glucagon, which in the liver slows down the breakdown of glycogen polysaccharides, allowing glucose molecules to be released into the blood.
3. Neuroblastoma
Neuroblastoma is a rare malignant tumor of the sympathetic nervous system that primarily affects children.
In this disease, the levels of catecholamines in the blood plasma are as high as they are in a pheochromocytoma, and at other times they may be even more high.
side effects of catecholamines
Severely elevated catecholamines in the blood may cause many complications resulting from severe vascular stenosis, the most important of which are:
- Myocardial ischemia.
- Coronary vasospasm.
- Inflammatory cell death.
Diagnosis of catecholamines
The level of catecholamines in the blood is measured to diagnose the resulting disorder through the following methods:
- Blood analysis: A sample of venous blood is taken and analyzed.
- Urinalysis: Urine is collected for 2 hours and analyzed for high or low catecholamine levels.
catecholamine therapy
Treatment varies according to the cause of the disorder, and the most prominent causes and treatment are the following:
1. Pheochromocytoma treatment
Treatment is carried out in one or more of the following ways:
- Surgery and excision.
- Chemotherapy.
- Radiation therapy.
- targeted therapy.
2. Neuroblastoma treatment
Treatment is carried out in one of the following ways:
- Chemotherapy.
- Surgical treatment.
- targeted therapy.
- Immunotherapy.
Prevention of catecholamines
Catecholamine disorders can be prevented by treating the pathogen, such as:
- Control of normal blood sugar levels.
- Treatment of pheochromocytoma and neuroblastoma.
smilesإخفاء