Elevated Plasma Free Fatty Acid Concentrations in Patients with Pheochromocytoma

THE catechol amines, norepinephrine and epinephrine, have been found to stimulate the release of free fatty acids from adipose tissue. In 1956 Dole1 and Gordon and Cherkes2 reported a rise in plasma free fatty acids after intravenous administration of epinephrine to human beings. Havel and Goldfien3 showed that norepinephrine was also potent in elevating plasma free fatty acids, and in 1962 Mueller and Horwitz4 related the fatty acid mobilizing capacity of primary and secondary amine derivatives of phenylethylamine to the presence of hydroxyl groups at the para-carbon and beta-carbon positions. An enzymatic basis for these effects has been offered by . . .