A substance that mimics at least part of adrenalin or catecholamine responses. The term is a little biased towards the minority of sympathetic functions that are adrenergic. A better name might be adrenalomimetic, epinephromimetic, catecholamimetic...or speedomimetic. Examples: coffee, ephedrine, amphetamines.
adj. having the effect of stimulating the *sympathetic nervous system. The actions of sympathomimetic drugs are adrenergic: they act on alpha or beta *adrenoceptors. Alpha-adrenergic stimulants (alpha agonists) stimulate alpha receptors. They include *vasoconstrictors (e.g. *ephedrine, *phenylephrine, *metaraminol), used to treat nasal congestion and severe hypotension, and the selective ?2 agonists *apraclonidine and *brimonidine, which are used in the treatment of glaucoma. Beta-adrenergic stimulants (beta agonists) stimulate ?1 and/or ?2 adrenoceptors. ?2 agonists such as *salbutamol, *salmeterol, and *terbutaline relax bronchial smooth muscle and are used as *bronchodilators. Some ?2 agonists, including salbutamol, relax uterine muscle and are sometimes used in the treatment of premature labour (see tocolytic). ?1 agonists (e.g. *dobutamine) stimulate ?1 receptors in the heart and are therefore used for their *inotropic effects.
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