Catecholamines and the control of metabolism in man

Introduction: The physiological effects of catecholamines can result from a combination of increased activity of the sympathetic nervous system and secretion from the adrenal medulla. However, studies in the rat have revealed circumstances in which adrenal medullary secretion can occur at a time when the activity of the sympathetic nervous system is suppressed [1]; furthermore, in the lamb there may be variations in the relative amounts of noradrenaline and adrenaline secreted from the adrenal medulla [2]. It is not known whether such phenomena occur in man.