title: Mechanism of nicotine-induced release of noradrenaline from adrenergic nerve endings.
abstract: 1 A study of the mechanism of release of [(3)H]-noradrenaline ([(3)H]-NA) by nicotine from isolated vas deferens of the rat was made using incubation media of different ionic composition.2 Nicotine (20 mug/ml)-induced release of [(3)H]-NA was significantly potentiated in K(+)-free Krebs solution as compared to that in normal Krebs-Ringer solution.3 Nicotine-induced release of [(3)H]-NA was significantly reduced in Na(+)-deficient Krebs solution (containing only 11 mM Na(+)) and was abolished in Na(+)-free Krebs solution.4 In totally depolarized tissues, nicotine failed to cause an outflow of [(3)H]-NA but Ca(2+) (5 mM) did so.5 Nicotine required the presence of Ca(2+) in the incubation medium to cause release of [(3)H]-NA from adrenergic nerve terminals, the magnitude of release being dependent upon the concentration of Ca(2+).6 Nicotine-induced release of [(3)H]-NA was demonstrated in high Ca(2+), Na(+)-free Krebs solution in which all Na(+) had been replaced with Ca(2+).7 It is concluded that nicotine increases the membrane permeability to both Na(+) and Ca(2+). It is also suggested that the increase in permeability to Ca(2+) alone is not sufficient but a local depolarizing action of nicotine is necessary to cause release of noradrenaline from adrenergic nerve endings.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000494:pharmacology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D009411:Nerve Endings / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D009538:Nicotine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D012964:Sodium / Q000502:physiology; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D009538:Nicotine; D012964:Sodium; D002118:Calcium; D009638:Norepinephrine