title: Alpha 2-adrenoceptors inhibit the cholera-toxin-induced intestinal fluid accumulation.
abstract: The effects of adrenoceptor agonists and antagonists on the cholera-toxin-induced intestinal fluid accumulation and the mucosal levels of cAMP were investigated in vivo. Cholera toxin produced a marked fluid accumulation. Adrenaline inhibited the effect of the toxin in a dose-dependent manner. An alpha 2-adrenoceptor blocking agent yohimbine antagonized the effect of adrenaline. The alpha 1-adrenoceptor blocking agents prazosin and phenoxybenzamine failed to antagonize the effect of adrenaline. A high dose of a beta-adrenoceptor blocking agent pindolol did not antagonize the effect of adrenaline. Yohimbine or pindolol alone did not produce any effects on the toxin-induced fluid accumulation. However, prazosin and phenoxybenzamine per se inhibited the toxin-induced fluid accumulation. An alpha 2-selective agonist clonidine was slightly more potent than adrenaline, and was about 100-fold more potent than the alpha 1-selective agonist methoxamine in inhibiting the cholera-toxin-induced intestinal secretion. Clonidine, adrenaline and methoxamine failed to reduce the mucosal levels of cAMP, while these alpha-adrenoceptor agonists inhibited the toxin-induced fluid accumulation in the same preparations. These results suggest that the stimulation of alpha 2-adrenoceptors inhibit the cholera-toxin-induced intestinal secretion without reducing the whole mucosal levels of cAMP.
mesh_terms: D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000378:metabolism*; D002772:Cholera Toxin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000378:metabolism; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism*; D007422:Intestines / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011941:Receptors, Adrenergic / Q000502:physiology*; D011942:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D015016:Yohimbine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists; D011941:Receptors, Adrenergic; D011942:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha; D015016:Yohimbine; D002772:Cholera Toxin; D000242:Cyclic AMP