title: Pronounced facilitation of endogenous noradrenaline release by presynaptic beta 2-adrenoceptors in the vasculature of freely moving rats.
abstract: The facilitation of the noradrenaline (NA) overflow by stimulation of the presynaptic beta-adrenoceptor of the rat portal vein was investigated, using the freely moving unanesthetized permanently cannulated rat as a model. The beta 2-selective agonist fenoterol caused a maximal enhancement of about 300% of the basal NA level at a dose of 0.5 mg/kg. Following administration of cocaine (2.5 mg/kg plus 0.05 mg/kg/min) basal NA levels increased to 150% whereas combination of cocaine and fenoterol results in a dose dependant rise up to over 560% of the basal level (at a fenoterol dosage of 0.5 mg/kg). Blockade of the alpha 2-adrenoceptors with yohimbine (0.5 mg/kg) which enhances the NA level to 486%, followed by 0.125 mg/kg fenoterol results in a further 2.53-fold rise to more than 1,200% of the basal level, indicating the pronounced counterregulatory role of the presynaptic alpha 2-adrenoceptor. After ganglionic blockade with hexamethonium (3 mg/kg plus 6 mg/kg/h) the effect of yohimbine (0.5 mg/kg) alone was diminished to 162%, but the additional facilitatory effect of 0.125 mg/kg fenoterol still was 1.82-fold, to 294% of the basal level. Combination of cocaine (2.5 mg/kg plus 0.05 mg/kg/min), yohimbine (0.5 mg/kg) and fenoterol (0.125 mg/kg) induced a rise to over 9,000 pg/ml NA (about 40-fold of the basal NA level). During electrical stimulation (2 Hz, 3 ms, 5 mA) of the local portal vein nervous plexus, the role of the inhibitory alpha 2-adrenoceptor becomes even more pronounced.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003042:Cocaine / Q000494:pharmacology; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005280:Fenoterol / Q000494:pharmacology; D018738:Hexamethonium; D006584:Hexamethonium Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism*; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000187:drug effects / Q000294:innervation*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta / Q000378:metabolism*; D015016:Yohimbine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D006584:Hexamethonium Compounds; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta; D005280:Fenoterol; D015016:Yohimbine; D018738:Hexamethonium; D003042:Cocaine; D009638:Norepinephrine