title: Dual effect of dihydroergotamine at vascular 5-hydroxytryptamine receptors in pithed rats.
abstract: Dihydroergotamine (DHE), administered intravenously to pithed normotensive rats, increased the mean arterial blood pressure dose-dependently. This pressor effect was noncompetitively inhibited by the 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) receptor antagonists pizotifen and cyproheptadine (0.1 mg/kg each). The alpha 1-adrenoceptor blocker prazosin (1 mg/kg) had no influence on the DHE effect whereas the alpha 2-adrenoceptor blocker yohimbine, at the same dose, proved to be a noncompetitive inhibitor of this pressor effect. The results indicate that both the 5-HT receptors and alpha 2-adrenoceptors are involved in the DHE-induced vasoconstriction. On the other hand, in pithed normotensive rats, DHE proved to be a potent inhibitor of the pressor response to 5-HT but it did not inhibit that to noradrenaline. The results obtained characterize DHE as a noncompetitive dualist at vascular 5-HT receptors.
mesh_terms: D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D004087:Dihydroergotamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists; D004087:Dihydroergotamine