Catecholamines

• Catecholamines:

  • part of the sympathetic nervous system
  • epinephrine makes up 80% of catecholamines
  • act on the heart -> causes increase in stroke volume and heart rate
  • norepinephrine makes up 20% of catecholamines
  • acts on vessels
  • acts on arterioles -> increase in vasoconstriction -> increase in total peripheral resistance -> increase in blood pressure
  • acts on veins -> increase in venoconstriction -> increase in venous return -> increase in cardiac output