Recent studies by Armstrong, McMillan, and Shaw(1) have shown that a major metabolite of norepinephrine and epinephrine found in human urine is 3-methoxy-4-hydroxymandelic acid. Subsequently it was shown by Axelrod (2) that the 3-hydroxy position of both norepinephrine and epinephrine can be methylated by animal tissues to yield the corresponding 3-methoxy analogs. The 3-methoxy analog of epinephrine (ME) was also reported to be present in rat urine (2). Since the conversion of catecholamines to their methoxy analogs may play some role in the physiology of these agents, it seemed important to determine whether these substances exist in man.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.