title: Effect of the alpha 2-adrenergic antagonist yohimbine on orthostatic tolerance.
abstract: We studied the effect of yohimbine, a drug that inhibits presynaptic alpha 2-adrenergic receptors and increases the neuronal release of norepinephrine from the central and sympathetic nervous systems, on tolerance to cardiovascular stress in 10 untrained, healthy subjects. Using radioligand binding of tritiated yohimbine to platelets, these subjects were found to have a normal complement of alpha 2-adrenergic receptors (174 +/- 18 [+/- SEM] receptors/platelet) with normal Kd (1.93 +/- 0.17 nmol/l). Lower body negative pressure was used to test responses to cardiovascular stress in the subjects after they received either placebo or 20 mg yohimbine. Graded lower body negative pressure from 0 to -40 mm Hg significantly decreased systolic blood pressure from 116 +/- 3.7 to 106 +/- 5.8 mm Hg, increased heart rate from 54 +/- 3 to 68 +/- 7 beats/min, decreased forearm blood flow from 1.8 +/- 0.21 to 1.36 +/- 0.25 ml/100 ml/min, and increased forearm vascular resistance from 55.76 +/- 12.1 to 77.26 +/- 15.8 mm Hg/ml/min. Yohimbine increased the blood pressure at rest and during lower body negative pressure, but these changes were not significantly different from values recorded from the individuals when they were given placebo. Compared with placebo, however, yohimbine significantly increased forearm blood flow at rest (1.80 +/- 0.21 vs. 2.66 +/- 0.31 ml/100 ml/min, p less than 0.05) and during -40 mm Hg of lower body negative pressure (1.36 +/- 0.25 vs. 1.91 +/- 0.28 ml/100 ml/min, p less than 0.05). We also found that yohimbine significantly increased the plasma insulin concentration in these fasted subjects (9.4 +/- 2.4 vs. 14.5 +/- 1.4 ng/ml, p less than 0.05) without inducing hypoglycemia.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Farrow
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mers
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Banta
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Steigerwalt
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lockette
mesh_terms: D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002319:Cardiovascular System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005542:Forearm / Q000098:blood supply; D006112:Gravitation; D006801:Humans; D007024:Hypotension, Orthostatic / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008150:Lower Body Negative Pressure; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000097:blood; D011942:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D012146:Rest; D015016:Yohimbine / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists; D011942:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha; D015016:Yohimbine; D009638:Norepinephrine