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Octopamine
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| Systematic (IUPAC) name | |
| 4-(2-amino-1-hydroxy-ethyl)phenol | |
| Identifiers | |
| CAS number | |
| ATC code | C01 |
| PubChem | |
| Chemical data | |
| Formula | C8H11NO2 |
| Mol. mass | 153.178 |
| Pharmacokinetic data | |
| Bioavailability | ? |
| Metabolism | ? |
| Half life | ? |
| Excretion | ? |
| Therapeutic considerations | |
| Pregnancy cat. |
? |
| Legal status | |
| Routes | ? |
Octopamine is a biogenic amine which is closely related to noradrenaline, and has noradrenergic and dopaminergic effects.[1]
Contents |
Role in invertebrates
Octopamine was first discovered by Italian scientist Vittorio Erspamer in 1948[2] in the salivary glands of the octopus and has since been found to act as neurotransmitter, neurohormone and neuromodulator in invertebrates. It is widely used in energetically demanding behaviours by all insects, crustaceans (crabs, lobsters, crayfish) and spiders. Such behaviours include flying, egg-laying and jumping.
The best understood role for octopamine is in the locust jump. Here it modulates muscle activity, making the leg muscles contract more effectively. This is at least in part due to an increase in the rate of contraction and of relaxation.
In the honey bee and fruit fly, octopamine has a major role in learning and memory. In the firefly, octopamine release leads to light production in the lantern.
Octopamine also plays a role in mollusks, though the role of octopamine has only been examined in the central nervous system of the model organism, the pond snail.
Heberlein et al [3] have conducted studies of alcohol tolerance in fruit flies; they found that a mutation that caused octopamine deficiency also caused lower alcohol tolerance.[4][5][6][7]
Role in vertebrates
In vertebrates, octopamine also replaces norepinephrine in sympathetic neurons with chronic use of monoamine oxidase inhibitors. It is responsible for the common side effect profile of orthostatic hypotension with these agents.
In mammals, octopamine may mobilise the release of fat from adipocytes (fat cells), and this has led to its promotion on the internet as a slimming aid. However, the released fat is likely to be promptly taken up into other cells, and there is no evidence that octopamine facilitates weight loss. Octopamine may also increase blood pressure significantly when combined with other stimulants, as in some weight loss supplements. [8] [9]
Due to lack of research, much is not known about octopamine or its role in humans.
References
- ^ Jagiełło-Wójtowicz E (1979). "Mechanism of central action of octopamine". Pol J Pharmacol Pharm 31 (5): 509–16. PMID 121158.
- ^ Erspamer, V., Active substances in the posterior salivary glands of Octopoda. 2. Tyramine and octopamine (oxyoctopamine) Acta Pharmacologica et Toxicologica 4 (3-4): 224-247 1948.
- ^ Molecular Genetic Analysis of Ethanol Intoxication in Drosophila melanogaster, Ulrike Heberlein, Fred W. Wolf, Adrian Rothenfluh and Douglas J. Guarnieri, Integrative and Comparative Biology 2004 44(4):269-274; doi:10.1093/icb/44.4.269
- ^ Moore, M. S., Dezazzo, J., Luk, A. Y., Tully, T., Singh, C. M., and Heberlein, U. (1998) Ethanol intoxication in Drosophila: Genetic and pharmacological evidence for regulation by the cAMP pathway. Cell 93, 997-1007
- ^ Tecott, L. H. and Heberlein, U. (1998) Y do we drink? Cell 95: 733-735
- ^ Bar Flies: What our insect relatives can teach us about alcohol tolerance., Ruth Williams, Naked Scientist
- ^ ‘Hangover gene’ is key to alcohol tolerance, Gaia Vince, NewScientist.com news service, 22 August 2005
- ^ "Medical News: Ephedra-Free Supplements Not Necessarily Risk-Free - in Cardiovascular, Hypertension Source: MedPage Today". Retrieved on 2007-11-30.
- ^ Haller, CA, et al (2005) Am J Med : 118:998-1003 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.amjmed.2005.02.034
Further reading
- P.D. Evans, "Octopamine", in Comprehensive Insect Physiology, 11, 499, Oxford University Press 1985.
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Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 19 July 2008, at 21:10.
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