The Hyperglycemic Action of Some Analogs of Epinephrine

Abstract

Conclusions

Of the several compounds tested, only 1-arterenol has a hyperglycemic action of the same order as that of 1-epinephrine. Its activity can be placed at about 1/8 of that of epinephrine, while the d-isomer has about 1/20 of the activity of the l-isomer. Sahyun¹⁴ found that dl-arterenol, 1 mg/kg, produced an average rise iin blood sugar of 78 mg%percnt; 3 hrs after subcutaneous injection in 7 rabbits. This is considerably more activity than would be calculated from our observations on the separate isomers. However, if one of his rabbits (No. 8, Table II) is eliminated from consideration, the average rise becomes only 61 mg%percnt;, and the discrepancy is much less. Of the other compounds studied, Isuprel is clearly the least active. The approximate hyperglycemic activity of the whole series of compounds, taking l-epinephrine as 100, is as follows (all figures given have been calculated in terms in terms of the free base): l-arterenol, 12; Win 3046, 1.7; Butanefrine, 1.6; Win 515, 0.7; d-arterenol, 0.6; and Isuprel, 0.12.