The Sound of Evolution
Phenylephrine
Mechanism of action:
Phenylephrine is a selective α₁-adrenergic agonist. It activates α₁ receptors on vascular smooth muscle and, through Gq protein signaling, increases intracellular calcium levels, leading to contraction of vascular smooth muscle and a rise in blood pressure. It also constricts blood vessels in the nasal mucosa, reducing congestion and secretions.
Reference(s):
1. Prescott F et al. (1944). CLINICAL EVALUATION OF THE PRESSOR ACTIVITY OF METHEDRINE, NEO-SYNEPHRINE, PAREDRINE, AND PHOLEDRINE. Br Heart J.
2. Kanfer I et al. (1993). Pharmacokinetics of oral decongestants. Pharmacotherapy.
3. Bairam AF et al. (2019). Impact of SULT1A3/SULT1A4 genetic polymorphisms on the sulfation of phenylephrine and salbutamol by human SULT1A3 allozymes. Pharmacogenet Genomics.