title: Catecholamines and dopamine-beta-hydroxylase activity during therapeutic abortion induced by sulprostone.
abstract: To evaluate the changes in circulating norepinephrine (NE), epinephrine (E) and dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (DBH) caused by an intravenous infusion of a derivate of PGE2, sulprostone, in connection with legal termination of pregnancy, serial plasma samples were analyzed for six gravidae. Plasma catecholamines were measured by a sensitive radioenzymatic method (9,10) and DBH activities by a photometric assay (11). Intravenous infusion of sulprostone, in abortifacient doses as an intravenous infusion of 3-4 microgram per minute for six to eight hours produced a decrease in circulating norepinephrine. No significant alteration was found in plasma epinephrine or dopamine-beta-hydroxylase activity. The finding suggests an inhibitory effect of sulprostone on the release of norepinephrine from the adrenergic terminals without inhibition of the adrenal medulla.
mesh_terms: D000032:Abortion, Therapeutic; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D015232:Dinoprostone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D004299:Dopamine beta-Hydroxylase / Q000097:blood*; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011459:Prostaglandins E, Synthetic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011674:Pulse / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D011459:Prostaglandins E, Synthetic; C016767:sulprostone; D004299:Dopamine beta-Hydroxylase; D015232:Dinoprostone; D009638:Norepinephrine; D004837:Epinephrine