title: Alpha 1-adrenergic receptor involvement in norepinephrine-ethanol inhibition of rat brain Na+ -K+ ATPase and in ethanol tolerance.
abstract: Norepinephrine (NE) sensitization of rat brain Na+ -K+ ATPase to ethanol (EtOH) inhibition appears to be mediated by alpha 1-adrenoreceptors, since it was reversed by prazosin and WB-4101 (alpha 1-receptor antagonists) in a concentration-dependent manner, but not by yohimbine and piperoxan (alpha 2-receptor antagonists). In addition, clonidine (alpha 2-agonist) and methoxamine (central receptor type uncertain) produced very little sensitization. Chronic EtOH administration to rats for 3 weeks produced tolerance to the hypothermic effect of test doses of EtOH (3 g/kg, i.p.) and a decreased inhibitory effect of NE + EtOH on the enzyme in vitro. This inhibition was still prevented by prazosin and WB-4101. However, the binding of tritiated WB-4101 and prazosin to brain membrane preparations from control and EtOH-tolerant rats revealed that the maximum number of binding sites (Bmax) and the dissociation constant (KD) of alpha 1-adrenoreceptors were decreased after tolerance development. These changes in numbers and binding properties of alpha 1-adrenoreceptors probably account for the decreased NE sensitization of the ATPase to EtOH inhibition in preparations from EtOH-tolerant rats.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rangaraj
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kalant
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Beaugé
mesh_terms: D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D004146:Dioxanes / Q000494:pharmacology; D004361:Drug Tolerance; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D008861:Microsomes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011942:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists; D004146:Dioxanes; D011942:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha; D000431:Ethanol; C010654:(2-(2',6'-dimethoxy)phenoxyethylamino)methylbenzo-1,4-dioxane; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase; D009638:Norepinephrine