Possible differences in alpha-adrenoceptors in rabbit ileum and spleen.
In isolated tissues from reserpinized rabbits (5 mg kg-1, i.m. 20 h before experiment) and in the presence of cocaine (3 x 10(-5) M), corticosterone (2.8 x 10(-5)M), tropolone (3 x 10(-5) M), propranolol (4 x 10(-5)M) and disodium EDTA (3 X 10(-5)M), the potency ratios (relative to (-)-noradrenaline) of (-)adrenaline, (-)-phenylephrine and (+/-)-methoxamine were (m+/-s.e.) 2.03 +/- 0.13, 0.045 +/- 0.003 and 0.0062 +/- 0.0018 respectively in splenic strips and 1.77 +/- 0.41, 0.093 +/- 0.018 and 0.029 +/- 0.004 respectively in isolated ileum. Although the pA2 values for phentolamine and thymoxamine against (-)-noradrenaline in the two tissues were very similar there was a statistically significant difference when using yohimbine as the alpha-adrenoceptor blocking agent (pA2 = 6.80 +/- 0.30 in spleen; 5.60 +/- 0.12 in ileum). These differences suggest that the alpha-adrenoceptor in the two tissues is not identical. The pA2 value of phentolamine in rabbits ileum was not significantly different whether (-)noradrenaline or (+/-) methoxamine was used as agonist (7.91 +/- 0.07 and 7.97 +/- 0.06 respectively) while that of yohimbine was 5.56 +/- 0.10 using (-)noradrenaline and 6.19 +/- 0.12 using (+/-)methoxamine. In the light of this latter result and, considering the scatter of the experimentally determined values, there may be two alpha-adrenoceptors in rabbit ileum and either or both may not be identical in all respects to the alpha-adrenoceptor found in rabbit spleen.
D000818:Animals; D004347:Drug Interactions; D005260:Female; D007082:Ileum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000294:innervation*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000187:drug effects; D009928:Organ Specificity; D011817:Rabbits; D011941:Receptors, Adrenergic / Q000187:drug effects*; D011942:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha / Q000187:drug effects*; D013154:Spleen / Q000187:drug effects / Q000294:innervation*
D011941:Receptors, Adrenergic; D011942:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha