Observations on Alleged Serotonin- (Enteramine)-Like Nature of Cerebral Pressor Substance of Taylor, Page, and Corcoran

IN AN IMPORTANT article which appeared in this journal, Taylor, Page, and Corcoran1described liberation into blood stream of a vasopressor substance on many forms of neural stimulation in dog (centripetal vagus stimulation, centripetal stimulation of cut sciatic nerve). This substance is believed to be distinct from epinephrine, arterenol, renin, angiotonin, and vasopressin (pitressin®). Since its activity is inhibited and ultimately abolished by 1-hydrazinophthalazine (C-5968), and since this drug also inhibits pressor action of serotonin, these authors are of opinion that serotonin may be the type substance of a new and important series of pressor compounds, of which cerebral pressor substance is one. Taylor and his associates hold also view that this substance, which provisionally is believed to be of nerve origin, may participate in varying degree in more than one form of hypertensive disease. Similar and perhaps identical to