title: Multiple alpha 2 adrenergic receptor subtypes. I. Comparison of [3H]RX821002-labeled rat R alpha-2A adrenergic receptors in cerebral cortex to human H alpha2A adrenergic receptor and other populations of alpha-2 adrenergic subtypes.
abstract: In the present study, we examined the binding of the alpha-2 adrenergic receptor (AR) antagonist [3H]-(2-(2-methoxy-1,4-benzodioxan- 2yl)-2-imidazoline ([3H]RX821002) to alpha-2 AR in rat cerebral cortex (CC) and compared the properties of these sites to those of rat alpha-2A (R alpha-2A) AR in submaxillary gland (SMG), human alpha-2A (H alpha-2A) AR in human platelets and alpha-2B AR in neonatal rat lung. In the presence of guanidinium phosphate, [3H]RX821002 bound with high affinity to a large and homogeneous population of sites in CC (Kd = 0.30 +/- 0.03 nM and Bmax = 271 +/- 7 fmol/mg of protein), SMG (Kd = 0.7 and Bmax = 274), human platelets (Kd = 0.6 nM and Bmx = 189) and neonatal rat lung (kd = 0.9 and Bmax = 161). A total of 34 chemically diverse AR ligands monophasically inhibited the binding of [3H]RX821002 from each site with, for the CC, the most potent ligand being atipamezole (Ki = 0.2 nM). For all ligands, and at each site, Hill coefficients did not differ significantly from unity. Although the profiles of inhibition of [3H]RX821002 were virtually identical in rat CC and SMG, these populations revealed several marked differences to human platelets; the alkaloids, rauwolscine and yohimbine, as well as the benzodioxane, [2-(2,6- dimethoxyphenoxyethyl)-aminomethyl-1,4-benzodioxane] (WB 4101), displayed about 10-fold lower affinity for R alpha-2A as compared to H alpha-2A sites, whereas the benzopyrrolidines, fluparoxan and des-fluorofluparoxan, showed about 10-fold greater affinity for R alpha-2A sites. Further, whereas the calculation of potency ratios for selected pairs of ligands, as well as of correlation coefficients, revealed virtual identity between R alpha-2A AR in CC and SMG, these analyses revealed that each of these populations of R alpha-2A AR clearly differed to H alpha-2A AR in human platelets. In addition, both R alpha-2A AR in rat CC and SMG as well as H alpha-2A AR in human platelets markedly differed to alpha-2B AR in neonatal rat lung; thus, they showed 20-fold higher affinity for [2-(2H-(1-methyl-1,3-dihydroisoindole)methyl)-4,5- dihydroimidazoline] (BRL 44408), oxymetazoline, guanfacine and guanabenz yet 10- to 100-fold lower affinity for [2-(2-4-o- methoxyphenyl)piperazine-1-yl)-ethyl)-4,4-dimethyl-1,3-(2H,4H)- isoquinolinedione] (ARC 239) prazosin, chlorpromazine and corynanthine. Similar differences in R alpha-2A and H alpha-2A sites to alpha-2C sites were apparent upon analysis of literature data.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychopharmacology, Centre de Recherches de Croissy, France.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Renouard
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Widdowson
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Millan
mesh_terms: D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001667:Binding, Competitive; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000378:metabolism; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism*; D004146:Dioxanes / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D019329:Idazoxan / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D018341:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-2 / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists; D004146:Dioxanes; D018341:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-2; C058525:2-methoxyidazoxan; D019329:Idazoxan