The proportion in which adrenalin distributes itself between corpuscles and serum in relation to the technique of testing for epinephrin in blood

Abstract

1. When adrenalin was added to defibrinated blood, and the blood centrifuged after an hour, the serum was found by the colorimetric method of Folin, Cannon and Denis, to contain practically the whole of the added adrenalin.

3 c.c. adrenalin solution (Parke, Davis & Co.), corresponding to 2.64 mg. epinephrin when assayed colorimetrically, was added to 30 c.c. cat's defibrinated blood. Correcting for the small amount of color given by the serum itself in the test, the amount of adrenalin found in 10 c.c. of the serum separated from the adrenalin blood corresponded to 1.37 mg. epinephrin. The proportion by volume of serum in the blood was 62 per cent. The amount of serum in 30 c.c. of the adrenalin blood would, therefore contain 1.37 × 30 × 62/100 = 2.55 mg. adrenalin, i. e., all the adrenalin added was in the serum.

2. The same result was obtained by assaying the adrenalin in the serum by injection into a pithed cat (method of Elliott). The serum gave a rise indicating, when compared with that given by a known amount of adrenalin in control serum, that 10 C.C. of it contained 1.32 mg. adrenalin. This compares with 1.37 mg. by the colorimetric method. The adrenalin blood gave a rise of blood pressure less than that given by the serum and corresponding to the concentration of adrenalin in it. The sediment, which of course contained a very small proportion of serum, gave no measurable rise.

3. Similar results were obtained (with dog's blood to which adrenalin had been added) on segments of rabbit's intestine and uterus. The sediment gave a small inhibition of the intestine and a small increase of tone of the uterus as compared with the serum.