The Presumptive Role of Amino Acid Derivatives and Catecholamines in the Etiology of Vitiligo
Robert Brun

Synopsis

Based on the hypothesis that vitiligo could be a phenomenon of the same type as chemically-induced leukoderma, an attempt was made to find some physiological or physiopathological p -hydroxyphenyl derivatives which could be responsible for MELANOGENESIS INHIBITION. Thus, the inhibitory effect of many derivatives of TYROSINE and also sympathomimetic substances on a DOPA-meloanocyte system was tested. The main result was that ADRENALINE (epinephrine) was found to be a strong inhibitor of the Dopa reaction whereas noradrenaline (norepinephrine) was found to have no such effect. Other strong inhibitors were p -hydroxyphenylpyruvic acid and p -hydroxyphenylcinnamic acid, which could be metabolites of aromatic amino acids.

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