Human Hormones

Epinephrine, commonly referred to as adrenaline, is a hormone found in the human body. It is secreted from the chromaffin tissue that composes the adrenal gland’s medulla. Adrenaline is composed of a benzene ring containing two hydroxyl groups and an amine side chain. Its chemical formula is C9H13NO3. It is a catecholamine, and it is classified as an amine hormone.
Secretion and Production

Adrenaline is produced in and secreted from the chromaffin tissue that composes the adrenal gland’s medulla. It is synthesized by a series of reactions in which tyrosine is transformed into dopamine and hydroxylated to form norepinephrine (noradrenaline). Adrenaline is then formed by the methylation of norepinephrine.

After production, adrenaline is secreted into the blood stream. Its production and secretion are the effects of stress caused by environmental factors — this is commonly referred to as the “fight or flight response.” When adrenaline production and secretion is high, it results in an increase in heart rate and blood pressure, dilation of the pupils, elevation of blood-sugar levels, suppression of the immune system, and breakdown of the lipids in adipocytes. Each of these reactions occurs in order to physiologically prepare the body for changes in its physical environment.
Pharmacological Uses

Adrenaline was first isolated in 1898 by John Abel. Though Jokichi Takamine is often credited or co-credited for the first isolation of adrenaline, Takamine’s isolation was actually a combination of both adrenaline and noradrenaline, where Abel’s isolation of adrenaline was the uncontaminated chemical compound with the formula C9H13NO3.

By 1904, Jowett determined the structure of adrenaline and Friedrich Stolz completed the first total chemical synthesis. Some of the conditions in which adrenaline has been proven an effective treatment are listed below:

Cardiac Arrest
Adrenaline can be administered to patients with cardiac arrest or any other condition in which the heart ceases to pump blood. In these cases, adrenaline works to restore the beating of the heart.

Asthma
Another common use of adrenaline as a drug is to treat asthma patients suffering from severe attacks in the instance that traditional asthma drugs are ineffective. In this instance, adrenaline works to relax the lung muscles.

Immunotherapy
Adrenaline is commonly used on patients undergoing immunotherapy, a procedure used on allergy patients in an attempt to condition their immune system to attack their allergens, therefore reducing the patient’s sensitivity to them. While a patient is undergoing immunotherapy, they may be administered an adrenaline drug to suppress their immune system.