Noradrenaline and Accessory Chromaffin Tissue

Abstract

Fulk and Macleod¹ showed that the retro-peritoneal tissue of many mammals contains a material which, like extracts of the suprarenal glands, produces inhibition of the isolated rabbit intestine and excitation of the isolated rabbit uterus. Using histological methods, Wislocki² confirmed that there is abdominal chromaffin tissue in these animals. Whereas Mulon³ showed that the chromaffin tissue in the carotid bodies of horses contains a pressor substance, Fulk and Macleod¹ failed to obtain any sympathomimetic substance in extracts of the thoracic aorta (containing the chromaffin tissue of the cardioaortic bodies). Recently, West, Shepherd and Hunter⁴ reported that the collection of chromaffin tissue known in babies as the organs of Zuckerkandl contains large amounts of noradrenaline. The paraganglia are situated along the aorta near the origin of the inferior mesenteric artery. We have therefore attempted (a) to confirm that a sympathomimetic substance is present in accessory chromaffin tissue of animals, and (b) to identify such a substance by biological and chromatographic methods⁴.