Presence of Catechol Amines in Visceral Organs of‘ Fish and Invertebrates.

Abstract

Summary. Chromaffine cell tissue from Selachiae and Teleostiae contain noradrenaline and adrenaline in varying proportions. Visceral'organs of fish (heart, liver, spleen) contain noradredille in about 1/10–1/50 of the amounts found in the corresponding organs of mammals, as estimated by biological assay. The proportion of adrenaline was much higher than in mammals, viz. 40–60 % of the total catechols. No definite evidence was obtained for the presence of catechol amines in invertebrates (mollusc, crustacean, echinoderm) with the exception of the posterior salivary glands of Octopus vulgaris which contain comparatively large amounts of noradrenaline. The catechol amines in extracts of visceral organs of fish indicate the presence of chromaffine cells or adrenergic innervation. The author is indebted to the Head and Staff of the Roscoff Marine Biological Station for supplying some of the material. The Medical Research Council of Sweden defrayed the cost of this work with a grant which is gratefully acknowledged.