Epinephrine in the heart: uptake and release, but no facilitation of norepinephrine release.
BACKGROUND
Several studies have suggested that epinephrine augments the release of norepinephrine from sympathetic nerve terminals through stimulation of presynaptic receptors, but evidence pertaining to this mechanism in the heart is scarce and conflicting. Using the microdialysis technique in the porcine heart, we investigated whether epinephrine, taken up by and released from cardiac sympathetic nerves, can increase norepinephrine concentrations in myocardial interstitial fluid (NE(MIF)) under basal conditions and during sympathetic activation.


RESULTS
During intracoronary epinephrine infusion of 10, 50, and 100 ng/kg per minute under basal conditions, large increments in interstitial (from 0.31+/-0.05 up to 140+/-30 nmol/L) and coronary venous (from 0.16+/-0.08 up to 228+/-39 nmol/L) epinephrine concentrations were found, but NE(MIF) did not change. Left stellate ganglion stimulation increased NE(MIF) from 3.4+/-0.5 to 8.2+/-1.5 nmol/L, but again, this increase was not enhanced by concomitant intracoronary epinephrine infusion. Intracoronary infusion of tyramine resulted in a negligible increase in epinephrine concentration in myocardial interstitial fluid (EPI(MIF)), whereas 30 minutes after infusion of epinephrine an increase of 9.5 nmol/L in EPI(MIF) was observed, indicating that epinephrine is taken up by and released from cardiac sympathetic neurons. Although 68% to 78% of infused epinephrine was extracted over the heart, the ratio of interstitial to arterial epinephrine concentrations was only approximately 20%, increasing to 29% with neuronal reuptake inhibition.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings demonstrate epinephrine release from cardiac sympathetic neurons, but they do not provide evidence that epinephrine augments cardiac sympathoneural norepinephrine release under basal conditions or during sympathetic activation.
Lameris
Thomas W
TW
Department of Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Research Institute COEUR, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
de Zeeuw
Sandra
S
Duncker
Dirk J
DJ
Tietge
Wouter
W
Alberts
Gooitzen
G
Boomsma
Frans
F
Verdouw
Pieter D
PD
van den Meiracker
Anton H
AH
D018759:Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000502:physiology; D003891:Desipramine / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D005110:Extracellular Space / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000294:innervation; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D007261:Infusions, Intra-Arterial; D008297:Male; D017551:Microdialysis; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism*; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D010646:Phentolamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D013233:Stellate Ganglion / Q000502:physiology; D013552:Swine; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D014439:Tyramine / Q000494:pharmacology
D018759:Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors; D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists; D003891:Desipramine; D009638:Norepinephrine; D014439:Tyramine; D004837:Epinephrine; D010646:Phentolamine