Norepinephrine..

[visceral_instinct]

quote from wikipedia (not sure how accurate since any fucker can edit, but anway, just curious as to what this means)

"As a stress hormone, norepinephrine affects parts of the brain where attention and responding actions are controlled. Along with epinephrine, norepinephrine also underlies the fight-or-flight response, directly increasing heart rate, triggering the release of glucose from energy stores, and increasing blood flow to skeletal muscle.

However, when norepinephrine acts as a drug it will increase blood pressure, triggering a compensatory reflex that overcomes its direct stimulatory effects on the heart. "

Why is it described as acting as both a hormone and a drug? Why would it act in 2 different ways and what would make it do one thing or another?

 

[Asguard]

vi alot of drugs ARE hormones.

look at adrenilin for an example, adrenaline and noradrenaline are related hormones, as far as i know they can be used interchangably and effect the alpha, beta1 and beta 2 receptors

now if i rember correctly
alpha causes vasoconstriction
beta1 causes increased contractability of the heart
beta2 causes broncial dilation

both can be used for heart atacks, alergic reactions (and other forms of shock) or for server ashma

 

[Idle Mind]

Asguard...

Epinephrin = adrenaline. They are the same thing.

VI, I think they are referring to using norepinephrin as a treatment or supplement when they refer to its action as a drug (to treat hypotension, for example). This as opposed to what naturally occurs in the body as a hormone/neurotransmitter.

 

[Asguard]

ummm i already KNOW that, hence why i didnt bother seperating them. however in australia its refered to as adenaline hence why i did.

i should probably have stated that though because im not sure if VI realises that when your talking about an adrenaline rush your talking about exactly the same thing injected in a cardiac arest.

 

[visceral_instinct]

Asguard...

Epinephrin = adrenaline. They are the same thing.

VI, I think they are referring to using norepinephrin as a treatment or supplement when they refer to its action as a drug (to treat hypotension, for example). This as opposed to what naturally occurs in the body as a hormone/neurotransmitter.

Ya, that's what I was asking, why would it do one thing when produced inside your own body, and another when injected?

im not sure if VI realises that when your talking about an adrenaline rush your talking about exactly the same thing injected in a cardiac arest.

I do know that. Don't you just love those chemicals?

 

[Asguard]

oh thats what you wanted to know, sorry

it doesnt do anything different, it causes sympathetic arousal in both cases. ie vasoconstriction, bronical dilation and increased contractability of the heart. its just that when its injected the amount is greater. EPO is the same, its a naturally produced hormone but it can be used as a performance inhancing drug as well. its all about the levels.

 

[visceral_instinct]

Ah, I see. Thanks

 

[Asguard]

VI have you ever taken your pulse when scared? checked your resp rate when watching a horror film?

this is what adrenilin does, its part of the fight\flight\frezze responce system. Noradreniline also sharpens the mind i belive so you can think quicker in these situations which is the main difference between adreniline and noradrenilin. in med we just use these benifits to deal with slightly different conditions, rather than increasing heart contractability (to get more blood to the brain and heart) because a bear is coming we do it because a heart isnt getting enough O2 in a heart atack

 

[visceral_instinct]

Ya, I know what adrenaline does. I'm a little addicted to adrenaline/noradrenaline, hence downhill mountain biking.