Epinephrine, molecular structure

Epinephrine. Is adrenaline. This substance is highly psychotomimetic in small doses (1 to 5 mg), but is not orally active because enzymes in the stomach destroy its molecular structure. To keep from having to inject it, put a dose under your tongue and let it absorb into your blood stream in this manner. 

Adrenergic receptors (ARs) are the interface between the sympathetic nervous system and the cardiovascular system. ARs include two major subtypes, a and P, based on their pharmacological properties and molecular structure. The a-ARs consist of three ar AR subtypes and three o -ARs. P-ARs are also classified into three well-characterized subtypes Pb p2, and P3. Although they respond to the same hormones (norepinephrine and epinephrine), a- and P-ARs differ significantly in the types of cellular responses they mediate. 

Epinephrine, or adrenaline, has a molecular structure similar to that of norepinephrine. The difference is that epinephrine contains an fV-melhyl group ... 

Ephedrine is an alkaloid, a sympathomimetic amine with molecular formula Cjo Hi5 NOi, a molecular mass of 165.2, and the stmctural name (IR, 25)-2-methylamino-l-phenylpropan-l-ol. This bitter colorless or white solid-crystal is completely soluble in water, alcohol, chloroform, ether, and glycerol. Ephedrine is also produced by chemical synthesis and there is significant documentation of commercial ephedrine production using microbial biotransformation techniques [42]. Ephedrine has a structure close to methamphetamines, and its stimulant actions are comparable to epinephrine (adrenaline), a hormone produces by the adrenal glands that enhances heart rate and constriction of blood vessels in high-stress situations. Medicinal use of ephedrine began around 3000 B.C with the Chinese from md hudng, but its isolation was first reported in 1855 and its pharmaceutical application started in 1930 [22]. Studies on ephedrine s molecular structure show that two asynunetric carbon atoms are involved in ephedrine s molecular skeleton therefore, four optically active stereoisomers forms naturally occur as follows (IR, 2S)-(—)-ephedrine, (IS, 2R)-(+)-ephedrine, (IR, 2R)-( )-pseudoephedrine, (IS, 2S)-(+)-pseudoephedrine (Fig. 27.2). 

The classical studies of Barger and Dale (12) on the molecular modification of the epinephrine molecule demonstrated very clearly that minor alterations in structure of an endogenous hormone can evoke major qualitative and quantitative physiologic changes in the properties of the resultant derivatives. 

G protein A protein that binds GTP and hydrolyzes it to GDP. G proteins are molecular switches that change their structural state depending on whether GTP or GDP is bound. There are two classes of G proteins, the small G proteins such as Ras and the heterotrimeric G proteins such as the G protein that couples adenyl cyclase to the epinephrine receptor, providing the link between the... 

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