DIGESTION 41 



To this compound has been given the name tyramine. I 

 It is of special significance both from the chemical and 

 pharmacological standpoints because of its resemblance 

 in both respects to epinephrine. 



OH OH 



CH 2 



CH 3 



I 



NH 9 

 Tyramine Epinephrine 



Tyramine acts upon the sympathetic nervous system 

 as does epinephrine. Its action, however, is somewhat 

 weaker. Its effects are produced whether absorbed 

 from subcutaneous tissues or from the alimentary 

 canal. A further interest attaches to tyramine in that 

 it is one of the substances that confers upon ergot its 

 characteristic action on the uterus. 



Not only is tyramine found in putrefaction mixtures 

 without the body, but it has been isolated from the 

 contents of the large intestine and it may, therefore, 

 be looked upon as a product formed regularly in the 

 body. On the other hand its presence in the alimentary 

 canal does not necessarily imply that it was formed 



