title: Pharmacological and electrophysiological discrimination of contractile responses to selective alpha 1- and alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonists in rat tail artery.
abstract: Pharmacological and electrophysiological properties of postsynaptic alpha-adrenoceptor subtypes in rat tail artery were compared using selective alpha 1- and alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonists. Five alpha-adrenoceptor agonists contracted the tail artery with the following order of maximal effects: norepinephrine (alpha 1 and alpha 2) greater than methoxamine (alpha 1) = phenylephrine (alpha 1) much greater than clonidine (alpha 2) greater than UK-14,304 (alpha 2). Phenoxybenzamine greatly diminished contractions induced by methoxamine and phenylephrine, but had little effect on responses to UK-14,304. Idazoxan antagonized more potently against UK-14,304 than against methoxamine. These results suggest the heterogeneity of postsynaptic alpha-adrenoceptors in the rat tail artery. Furthermore, responses to methoxamine and phenylephrine 1) had faster onsets and 2) were more resistant to Ca2+ entry blockers, nicardipine and diltiazem, and a promotor, Bay K 8644, or decreasing of extracellular Ca2+ and 3) were more sensitive to a calmodulin antagonist, W-7, than the responses to UK-14,304 and clonidine. Both methoxamine and UK-14,304 depolarized the membrane but methoxamine produced stronger depolarization than UK-14,304. Therefore, the high sensitivity of alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonists-induced responses to Ca2+ entry blockers and promotors cannot be accounted for solely by membrane depolarization. These results may indicate the differences in the Ca2+ movement for the contractions produced by alpha 1- and alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonists.
mesh_terms: D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001158:Arteries / Q000294:innervation; D002118:Calcium / Q000502:physiology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013623:Tail / Q000098:blood supply; D014661:Vasoconstriction / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists; D002118:Calcium