title: Cooling augments alpha 2-adrenoceptor-mediated contractions in rat tail artery.
abstract: Experiments were performed to assess the effects of acute moderate cooling on postjunctional alpha 1- and alpha 2-adrenoceptors in isolated rings of tail arteries from male Sprague-Dawley rats. Rings were contracted with norepinephrine (NE; 10(-9) to 10(-4) M) alone or in the presence of prazosin (Pz; 3 x 10(-7) M) or rauwolscine (Rw; 10(-7) M). NE concentration-response curves were inhibited by alpha 1-blockade (Pz) but not significantly affected by alpha 2-blockade (Rw). In all rings, cooling caused an increase in the slope of the dose-response curve and a significant increase in the concentration of agonist required to evoke contractions, as assessed by that concentration of NE required to evoke a contraction equal to 10% of maximal (EC10). Cooling inhibited contractions evoked by the selective alpha 1-adrenergic agonist phenylephrine (PE) as assessed by EC10 but had no significant effect on the weak contractions elicited by the selective alpha 2-adrenergic agonist B-HT 920. Prior elevation of tone with either KCl or prostaglandin F2 alpha enhanced alpha 2-mediated contractions. These contractions were augmented by cooling, whereas those caused by either KCl or prostaglandin F2 alpha alone were not significantly affected. Our results suggest that alpha 2-adrenoceptor-mediated responses in this blood vessel are dependent on the level of preexisting tone and are potentiated by cooling.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland 97201.
authors.forename: C T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Harker
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Ousley
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Bowman
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Porter
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001158:Arteries / Q000502:physiology; D001381:Azepines / Q000494:pharmacology; D003080:Cold Temperature; D015237:Dinoprost / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000502:physiology*; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D010656:Phenylephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D011189:Potassium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D011224:Prazosin / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011942:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha / Q000502:physiology*; D013623:Tail / Q000098:blood supply
chemical_list: D001381:Azepines; D011942:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha; D010656:Phenylephrine; D011189:Potassium Chloride; C024763:talipexole; D015237:Dinoprost; D009638:Norepinephrine; D011224:Prazosin