title: Norepinephrine constricts the canine coronary bed via postsynaptic alpha 2-adrenoceptors.
abstract: The effect of alpha 2-blockade (0.3 mg/kg i.v. rauwolscine) and alpha 1-blockade (1.2 mg/kg i.v. prazosin) on coronary constrictions induced by intracoronary injections of azepexole (B-HT 933, alpha 2-agonist, 0.1-10 microgram/kg), phenylephrine (0.3-3 microgram/kg) and norepinephrine (0.001-0.1 microgram/kg) were studied in dog hearts perfused in situ under beta-blockade. Constrictions by azepexole (antagonized by rauwolscine, yet resistant to prazosin and methysergide) demonstrated coronary alpha 2-adrenoceptors. Norepinephrine-induced constrictions were more attenuated (22-fold) by alpha 2-blockade than by alpha 1-blockade (2.6-fold) and thus were mediated mainly by activation of postsynaptic alpha 2-receptors.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001381:Azepines / Q000494:pharmacology; D003326:Coronary Circulation / Q000187:drug effects; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000187:drug effects*; D004285:Dogs; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010656:Phenylephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D011224:Prazosin / Q000494:pharmacology; D011941:Receptors, Adrenergic / Q000187:drug effects*; D011942:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha / Q000187:drug effects*; D014661:Vasoconstriction / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D001381:Azepines; D011941:Receptors, Adrenergic; D011942:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha; D010656:Phenylephrine; C015603:azepexole; D009638:Norepinephrine; D011224:Prazosin