title: Modulation of 5-hydroxytryptamine release by presynaptic inhibitory alpha 2-adrenoceptors in the human cerebral cortex.
abstract: Slices and synaptosomes from human cerebral cortex (which had to be removed to reach deeply located tumours) and, for comparison, synaptosomes from guinea-pig and rat cerebral cortex were preincubated with [3H]5-hydroxytryptamine and superfused with physiological salt solution containing an inhibitor of 5-hydroxytryptamine uptake. The effects of alpha-adrenoceptor agonists and antagonists on the electrically (slices) or potassium-evoked (synaptosomes) tritium overflow were studied. In human cerebral cortical slices, the electrically-evoked [3H] overflow was inhibited by noradrenaline (pIC25 value: 6.35); the non-selective alpha-adrenoceptor antagonist phentolamine, at a concentration of 0.32 mumol/l, strongly antagonized the inhibitory effect of noradrenaline (apparent pA2 value: 8.19) but did not affect the evoked overflow by itself. In synaptosomes from humans, guinea-pigs and rats, noradrenaline also inhibited the K(+)-evoked [3H] overflow in a concentration dependent manner; the alpha 2-adrenoceptor clonidine (1 mumol/l), but not the alpha 1-adrenoceptor agonist methoxamine (1 mumol/l), mimicked the effects of noradrenaline; the effect of noradrenaline (0.3 mumol/l) was abolished by the alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonist idazoxan (0.5 mumol/l), but not by the alpha 1-adrenoceptor antagonist prazosin (1 mumol/l). It is concluded that release-inhibiting adrenoceptors of the alpha 2-subtype exist on 5-hydroxytryptamine terminals innervating the cerebral cortex in human and guinea-pig brain.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Farmacologia e Farmacognosia, Università degli Studi di Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Raiteri
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Maura
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Folghera
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cavazzani
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Andrioli
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Schlicker
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schalnus
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Göthert
mesh_terms: D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D003000:Clonidine / Q000494:pharmacology; D004146:Dioxanes / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006801:Humans; D019329:Idazoxan; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D008729:Methoxamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011224:Prazosin / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism*; D013574:Synaptosomes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists; D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists; D004146:Dioxanes; D012701:Serotonin; D008729:Methoxamine; D003000:Clonidine; D011224:Prazosin; D019329:Idazoxan