title: Environmental temperature variations cause degradations in epinephrine concentration and biological activity.
abstract: This study determined the biological consequence of temperature induced epinephrine degradation. Two different epinephrine preparations (1:1,000 and 1:10,000) were exposed to either cold (5 degrees C) or hot (70 degrees C) temperature. The exposure occurred for 8-hour periods each day in 4-, 8-, and 12-week intervals. Samples and identical controls were then chemically evaluated using high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC), and biological activity of samples showing chemical degradation was assessed in conscious rats. Epinephrine (1:10,000) underwent a significant degradation and a loss of concentration of the parent compound after 8 weeks of heat treatment. By 12 weeks, 64% of the epinephrine was degraded. A smaller (30%) but significant loss of cardiovascular potency was determined by blood pressure and heart rate responses in conscious rats. The degradation of epinephrine (1:1,000) was not statistically significant even after 12 weeks of heat exposure. No change was noted from control in either epinephrine concentration when exposed to cold temperatures. In conclusion, epinephrine (1:10,000) deteriorates in the presence of elevated temperature and should be protected from high temperatures when carried by EMS providers. The degradation products may possess biological activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858-4354.
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Grant
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Carroll
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Church
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Henry
authors.forename: N H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Prasad
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Abdel-Rahman
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Allison
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003080:Cold Temperature; D004355:Drug Stability; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D007260:Infusion Pumps; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D004837:Epinephrine