Pharmacology Question

Question

Does the Sympathomimetic System increase, decrease or have no effect on:

Blood glucose

bronchial smooth muscle

digestion

insulin

mucus secretion

salivation

Answer 1

When you engage the sympathetic system, your body begins its "fight-or-flight" response. To remember how this response affects different areas of the body, it's useful to think about what happens to the body in a scary situation. If you're about to run or fight, your body will divert more blood - and blood glucose - to your skeletal muscles in preparation. Since insulin is responsible for lowering blood glucose levels, your body will inhibit insulin to help raise the amount of glucose available to your muscles. Also, those skeletal muscles will need plenty of oxygen, so your airways will open wide - this is called bronchodilation. Bronchodilation happens by relaxing bronchial smooth muscle.

The opposite of the sympathetic system's "fight-or-flight" is the parasympathetic system's "rest-and-digest". This is a good way to remember that in the "fight-or-flight" scenario, your body is going to downregulate anything to do with the digestive system. Digestion, mucus secretion, and salivation are all put on hold when your body is revving up its sympathetic response.

I hope this helps!