title: Norepinephrine blocks a calcium current of adult rat sympathetic neurons via an alpha 2-adrenoceptor.
abstract: The effects of alpha-adrenoceptor agonist and antagonist drugs on the Ca2+ current of acutely isolated adult rat superior cervical ganglion (SCG) neurons were investigated to characterize the adrenoceptor which mediates a catecholamine-induced decrease of the Ca2+ current. Ca2+ currents were recorded using the whole-cell variant of the patch-clamp technique from neurons isolated enzymatically from adult rat SCG. Norepinephrine (1 microM) produced a rapid, reversible, and concentration-dependent decrease in Ca2+ current amplitude and slowed the rising phase of the Ca2+ current. These effects could be mimicked by clonidine (1 microM), an alpha 2-agonist but not by the alpha 1-agonist phenylephrine (1 microM). The norepinephrine-induced decrease in Ca2+ current amplitude was attenuated in the presence of idazoxan (1 microM), an alpha 2-antagonist, but was unaffected in the presence of the alpha 1-antagonist prazosin (1 microM). Neither antagonist displayed any Ca2+ current blocking activity. These results suggest that the alpha-receptor which mediates the norepinephrine-induced decrease of the Ca2+ current in adult rat SCG neurons is of the alpha 2-subtype.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Tulane University Medical School, New Orleans, LA 70112.
authors.forename: G G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Schofield
mesh_terms: D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000187:drug effects; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000187:drug effects; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011942:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists; D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D015220:Calcium Channels; D011942:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha; D009638:Norepinephrine