title: Reserpine induces vascular alpha 2-adrenergic supersensitivity and platelet alpha 2-adrenoceptor up-regulation in dog.
abstract: 1. The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of catecholamine levels on the regulation of alpha 2-adrenoceptor sensitivity in dogs. 2. Blood pressure and heart rate values at rest, plasma catecholamine levels, platelet and adipocyte alpha 2-adrenoceptors as well as the alpha 2-mediated cardiovascular responses to clonidine (10 micrograms kg-1 i.v., after alpha 1-, beta-adrenoceptor plus muscarinic blockade) or noradrenaline (0.5, 1, 2 and 4 micrograms kg-1 i.v. after alpha 1- and beta-adrenoceptor blockade) were measured before and after reserpine treatment (0.1 mg kg-1 day-1 s.c. over 15 days). 3. Reserpine induced a significant decrease in resting systolic and diastolic blood pressures (213 +/- 2/87 +/- 6 mmHg before vs 158 +/- 5/59 +/- 3 mmHg after treatment) as well as in heart rate (91 +/- 2 beats min-1 before vs 76 +/- 3 beats min-1 after treatment). 4. A 5 min tilt test performed under chloralose anesthesia, failed to modify blood pressure before treatment whereas it induced a significant fall in the same animals after the 15 day treatment. Plasma levels of noradrenaline significantly decreased (262 +/- 58 vs 66 +/- 31 pg ml-1) whereas plasma adrenaline levels were unchanged. 5. The alpha 2-mediated pressor responses to noradrenaline were significantly increased after reserpine. Clonidine induced a marked pressor effect (+72 and +45% in systolic and diastolic blood pressures respectively) after reserpine treatment. This effect was suppressed by administration of RX-821002, a new specific alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonist. 6. Reserpine treatment significantly increased platelet alpha 2-adrenoceptor number (identified with [3H]- yohimbine or [3H]-RX821002) with no change in Kd values. alpha 2-Adrenoceptor number remained unchanged in adipocytes (identified with [3H]-RX821002). 7. These results show that a 15 day treatment with reserpine induces a vascular alpha 2-adrenergic supersensitivity and an up-regulation in platelet alpha 2-adrenoceptors. In contrast, this phenomenon does not involve all the tissues since adipocyte alpha 2-adrenoceptors escape the effect of reserpine. We suggest that the levels of plasma noradrenaline play an important role in the regulation of the platelet and vascular alpha 2-adrenoceptors. In contrast, adipocyte alpha 2-adrenoceptors are not affected by changes in plasma noradrenaline levels.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Pharmacologie Médicale et Clinique, INSERM U317, Faculté de Médecine, Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Estan
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Senard
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Tran
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Montastruc
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Berlan
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002319:Cardiovascular System / Q000187:drug effects*; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000097:blood; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D003000:Clonidine / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D004146:Dioxanes / Q000494:pharmacology; D004285:Dogs; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D019329:Idazoxan / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D008297:Male; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology; D011224:Prazosin / Q000494:pharmacology; D011942:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects*; D012110:Reserpine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D015016:Yohimbine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D002395:Catecholamines; D004146:Dioxanes; D011942:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha; D015016:Yohimbine; D012110:Reserpine; C058525:2-methoxyidazoxan; D003000:Clonidine; D009638:Norepinephrine; D011224:Prazosin; D019329:Idazoxan