What is catecholamine?

Catecholamine is a kind of water-soluble compound synthesized by tyrosine in human body They are classified as adrenal hormones, so they are produced and released into the blood and are responsible for the preganglionic sympathetic stimulation of the adrenal medulla This activity occurs when stress is caused by emotional trauma, physical exertion, pain or excitement However, catecholamines can also be induced by hypoglycemia The main hormones produced are dopamine, norepinephrine and adrenaline There is no doubt that there are some specific biological reactions associated with the release of catecholamine Although dopamine is one of the "good feeling" hormones that promote mental pleasure, noradrenaline and adrenaline have a completely different experience because they act on the central nervous system and increase heart rate and blood pressure In fact, these types of catecholamines are responsible for eliciting resistance or escape responses But interestingly, both noradrenaline and adrenaline are synthesized by-products of dopamine production The abnormal increase of catecholamine level in blood circulation may be a sign of poisoning and disease For example, high levels may be the result of a lack of monoamine oxidase A, a factor that naturally reduces these hormone levels within minutes of release The high level of catecholamine may also be related to many rare diseases such as gangliocytoma and neuroblastoma A chromaffin cell that affects the adrenal gland can cause a high blood pressure condition called pheochromocytoma In addition, many drugs also increase catecholamine secretion, such as nitroglycerin, levodopa, tetracycline, lithium, insulin and caffeine If the disease related to adrenal hormone is suspected, it can be verified by blood test and urine test, in which the urine test results are more accurate Catecholamine was measured in ng / 100 ml Although normal values vary from person to person, 60 ng/100mL of noradrenaline and 20 ng/100 mL of adrenaline are generally considered normal Doctors generally advise patients to avoid emotional fluctuation or physical stress before physical examination, otherwise it will affect the secretion of catecholamine Certain foods, including caffeinated beverages, citrus fruits, bananas, chocolate and vanilla, should also be avoided a few days before the test, as they all raise catecholamine levels However, without the doctor's consent, patients should not stop taking drugs, even drugs that can cause the adrenaline to increase If the catecholamine level is found to be too high, treatment measures should be taken, such as the use of α receptor blockers and β receptor blockers and other antagonists.