Arterenol Content of the Mammalian and Human Adrenal Medulla

Abstract

Holtz, Credner and Kroneberg¹ some years ago showed that in human urine there is a sympathetic pressor substance called by them ‘urosympathin’. In patients with essential hypertension, ‘urosympathin’ was secreted in larger quantities than in normal individuals. The active substance isolated by absorption on aluminium hydroxide and elution with sodium dihydrogen phosphate was evaluated against adrenaline using the blood pressure of the cat for assay. A dose of ‘urosympathin’ equal in this assay to a certain amount of adrenaline had a Weaker effect on the blood pressure of the rabbit and on the isolated rabbit intestine. Contrary to adrenaline, its pressor effect was not reversed by sympathicolytics but only weakened. Polyphenoloxidase destroyed its activity. Where the ‘urosympathin’ differed pharmacologically from adrenaline, it resembled the demethylated derivative nor-adrenaline or arterenol. Experiments² not yet published showed that the ‘urosympathin’ of animals' urine also contains arterenol as chief constituent.