Dopamine, Plasma Unit Converter

Dopamine is a catecholamine, a type of chemical messenger produced by the adrenal glands and certain nerve cells. It functions both as a neurotransmitter in the brain and as a hormone in the bloodstream.

A plasma dopamine test measures the amount of free dopamine circulating in your blood. Dopamine is one of three catecholamines, alongside norepinephrine and epinephrine, that help regulate the body's stress response, blood pressure, and heart rate.

Within the brain, dopamine is the most abundant catecholamine, accounting for roughly 80% of total catecholamine content. However, plasma levels represent only the small fraction released into the bloodstream, primarily from sympathetic nerves and the adrenal medulla.

Plasma dopamine is released primarily from sympathetic nerve endings and the adrenal medulla. In the brain, dopamine is produced mainly in the substantia nigra and the ventral tegmental area, but this central dopamine does not significantly cross into the bloodstream.