EFFECT OF TETRAETHYLAMMONIUM BROMIDE ON THE EOSINOPENIC RESPONSE TO EPINEPHRINE

Abstract

Until recently, the eosinopenic response to epinephrine was used as a test for the integrity of the pituitary-adrenocortical system. Serious doubt about its validity as a test has been aroused lately (1, 2), because the eosinopenic response to epinephrine has been observed in human subjects who have undergone bilateral adrenalectomy, indicating that the presence of the adrenal cortex is not always necessary for the response.

The following investigation upon the effect of the autonomic nervous system on the eosinopenic response to epinephrine may be of interest, compared to the more recent considerations:

Material and methods: In the first group were 15 subjects proved by different clinical and laboratory investigations to present no endocrine disorders. All were subjected to sufficient bed rest and observation. Fasting counts of eosinophil cells in peripheral blood were performed before, and four hours after, the subcutaneous injection of 0.3 mg. of epinephrine, as described by Recant et al. (3). Epinephrine injection was repeated the following day under the same conditions, one hour after the intravenous injection of 20 mg. of tetraethylammonium bromide (TEAB). Blood pressure was recorded before and after administration.