Abstract
6-Hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) has been used clinically to create a chemical sympathectomy and has been shown to cause acute, selective degeneration of sympathetic nerve terminals. Because epinephrine, an endogenous catecholamine, resembles 6-OHDA structurally, it was reasoned that some doses of epinephrine might cause similar degeneration. Supralethal doses of epinephrine were given to five cats pretreated with phenozybenzamine (an alpha receptor blocker known to protect animals from epinephrine's lethal effects) and the irises and spleen capsules were examined with the electron microscope and compared to control animals. In addition, high doses of epinephrine alone were given to three cats and specimens were taken and compared to controls. It appears systemic epinephrine administration can result in acute degeneration of nerve terminals while leaving other structures intact as has been reported for 6-OHDA.
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