Adrenaline and noradrenaline, known in the science community as epinephrine and norepinephrine, are hormones that are required for the basic "fight or flight" response. Have you ever been scared and had your heart start racing? That is epinephrine being released into your blood and affecting your heart. What would life be like without epineprhine or norepinephrine? You certainly would be rather calm. Using genetic engineering, mice have been made that cannot make epinephrine or norepinephrine. See figure below.
Their blood pressures are extremely low!
Data were
obtained during the night, their active period.
Normal
Mouse
Average systolic pressure =
125 mmHg
Average diastolic pressure =
90 mmHg
Average mean pressure =
111 mmHg
Heart rate = 580 beats per minute
DBH Knockout
Mouse
Average systolic pressure =
81 mmHg
Average diastolic pressure =
76 mmHg
Average mean pressure =
64 mmHg
Heart rate = 390 beats per minute
