Gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric identification of epinine in rat superior cervical ganglia and formation in vivo.

Epinine was identified in rat superior cervical ganglia by a gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric method. The deuterated methyl group of i.v. administered labeled methionine was incorporated into epinine at a slow rate, although epinephrine-CD3 was rapidly formed. These results indicate that epinine found in the ganglia is not a precursor of epinephrine.