Subclassification of release-regulating alpha 2-autoreceptors in human brain cortex.
1. Release-regulating alpha 2-autoreceptors in human brain were characterized pharmacologically in cortical slices from patients undergoing neurosurgery to remove subcortical tumours; the slices were prelabelled with [3H]-noradrenaline ([3H]-NA) and stimulated electrically (3 Hz, 2 ms, 24 mA) under superfusion conditions. 2. The stimulus-evoked tritium overflow was almost totally Ca(2+)-dependent and tetrodotoxin-sensitive. 3. Clonidine and oxymetazoline 0.01 to 1 microM inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner the evoked overflow of tritium. The two drugs were equipotent (EC50 = 0.03 microM) and their maximal effect was approx. 45%. Phenylephrine and methoxamine, up to 1 microM, did not affect tritium overflow. 4. Yohimbine (0.01-0.1 microM) shifted the concentration-response curve of clonidine to the right. The calculated pA2 value was 8.29. 5. Prazosin and 2-[2-[4-(o-methoxyphenyl)piperazine-1-yl]ethyl]-4,4- dimethyl-1,3(2H,4H)-isoquinolinedione (AR-C 239), tested at 0.3 microM, did not modify the concentration-response curve of clonidine. 6. The effect of clonidine was antagonized by (+)-mianserin (pA2 = 7.74), but not by up to 0.3 microM of the (-)-enantiomer. The concentration-response curve of clonidine was shifted to the right by the novel alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonist, 5-chloro-4-(1-butyl-1,2,5,6-tetrahydropyridin-3-yl)-thiazole-2-ami ne (Z)-2-butenedioate (1:1) salt (ORG 20350) (pA2 = 7.55). 7. Yohimbine, (+)-mianserin and ORG 20350, but not prazosin and (-)-mianserin, increased the electrically-evoked tritium overflow, suggesting that autoreceptors may be tonically activated by endogenous NA. 8. Desipramine (1 microM) increased evoked tritium overflow from human cortex slices. The effect of clonidine (0.01- 1 g1M) on the evoked overflow of tritium was reduced in presence of 1 muM desipramine.9. It is proposed that autoregulation of NA release can occur in human cerebral cortex. The process involves activation of alpha 2-adrenoceptors which may be either the alpha2X or the alpha2D subtype.
Institute of Pharmacology and Pharmacognosy, University of Genoa, Italy.
M
M
Raiteri
G
G
Bonanno
G
G
Maura
M
M
Pende
G C
GC
Andrioli
A
A
Ruelle
D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D003000:Clonidine / Q000494:pharmacology; D003891:Desipramine / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism*; D010109:Oxymetazoline / Q000494:pharmacology; D011942:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha / Q000145:classification* / Q000378:metabolism; D013779:Tetrodotoxin / Q000494:pharmacology
D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists; D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists; D011942:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha; D013779:Tetrodotoxin; D010109:Oxymetazoline; D003000:Clonidine; D002118:Calcium; D003891:Desipramine; D009638:Norepinephrine