title: Involvement of inhibitory dopamine-2 receptors in resting bradycardia in exercise-conditioned rats.
abstract: The purpose of this investigation was to examine the underlying cause for the resting bradycardia and lower resting blood pressure demonstrated in conscious rats that performed 12 wk of treadmill exercise conditioning. The influence of inhibitory dopamine (DA2) receptors and alpha 2-adrenoceptors, which are known to mediate bradycardia and hypotension, was assessed in exercise-conditioned (EC) and nonexercised conditioned (NC) rats. To accomplish this, preferential DA2 and alpha 2-agonists and antagonists were administered at rest to conscious rats after they participated in an exercise conditioning program. The results obtained with the DA2 antagonist metoclopramide (15 mg/kg ip) alone suggest that there is physiological activation of cardiovascular DA2 receptors in EC rats but not in NC rats. Furthermore, the results obtained with the DA2 agonist bromocriptine (1.5 mg/kg ip) suggest that the DA2 receptor-mediated bradycardia and hypotension are greater in EC rats than in NC rats. In addition, heart rate and blood pressure responses to the alpha 2-agonist clonidine (0.1 mg/kg ip) and antagonist yohimbine (1 mg/kg ip) were not different between EC and NC rats. These data suggest that enhanced DA2 receptor influence accounts, in part, for the resting bradycardia and lower resting blood pressure demonstrated in EC rats after 12 wk of exercise conditioning.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces 88003.
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Slavik
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: LaPointe
mesh_terms: D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D001971:Bromocriptine / Q000494:pharmacology; D003000:Clonidine / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008787:Metoclopramide / Q000494:pharmacology; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D015016:Yohimbine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists; D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2; D015016:Yohimbine; D001971:Bromocriptine; D008787:Metoclopramide; D003000:Clonidine