title: The role of epinephrine in the circulatory effects of coffee.
abstract: The circulatory response to coffee was studied in 10 normotensive, 10 bilaterally adrenalectomized, and 10 hypertensive subjects. In the normotensive group, drinking coffee exerted a rise in blood pressure (+5.1/+11.5 mm Hg), a fall in heart rate (-6.0 bpm), a rise in plasma epinephrine (+257.2%), and no change in plasma norepinephrine. The response to coffee in the hypertensive group was similar or even enhanced. In the patients who had undergone adrenalectomy, the coffee-induced rise of diastolic blood pressure was attenuated (+7.9 mm Hg; P less than 0.05), whereas plasma norepinephrine showed a fall (-20.8%) and plasma epinephrine remained undetectable throughout all tests. Additionally, a fall of plasma renin activity after coffee was observed in all three groups. We conclude that the pressor response to coffee is not purely a result of circulating epinephrine or to stimulation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. On the other hand, the coffee-induced increase of plasma epinephrine may increase the pressor response to coffee.
mesh_terms: D000315:Adrenalectomy; D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D002110:Caffeine / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000097:blood; D012083:Renin / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D002110:Caffeine; D012083:Renin; D009638:Norepinephrine; D004837:Epinephrine