Involvement of alpha 1- and alpha 2-adrenoceptors in the responses of proximal and distal segments of the canine saphenous vein to exogenous and endogenous noradrenaline

In vivo analysis of adrenergic and serotoninergic constrictions of the rabbit saphenous vein

We aimed to develop a model to study in vivo the rabbit saphenous vein pharmacology and to investigate constrictions mediated by adrenoceptor and 5-HT receptor subtypes. We used the technique of high precision ultrasonic echo-tracking for direct measurement of saphenous vein diameters in pentobarbital anesthetized rabbits. Saphenous vein constrictions induced in rabbits by the alpha(1)-adrenoceptor agonist L-phenylephrine and the 5-HT(1B) receptor agonist sumatriptan were comparable with those induced in dogs but those induced by the 5-HT(1B) and 5-HT(7) receptor agonist 5-carboxamidotryptamine failed to appear in dogs. Dose-related constrictions of rabbit veins were obtained with L-phenylephrine and the alpha(2)-adrenoceptor agonist dexmedetomidine. Frequency-related constrictions of rabbit veins induced by nerve stimulation were partially inhibited by an alpha(1)-adrenoceptor or a postsynaptic alpha(2)-adrenoceptor antagonist (prazosin and SKF 104,078) but not affected by the pre- and post-synaptic alpha(2)-adrenoceptor antagonists BRL 44408 or rauwolscine. Constrictions of rabbit veins to sumatriptan and 5-CT were inhibited by GR 127935 and those induced by quipazine, a 5-HT(2) receptor agonist were prevented by ritanserin. The initial constrictions induced by 5-CT were followed by dilatations which were inhibited by the 5-HT(7) receptor antagonist mesulergine. These data indicate that rabbit saphenous veins, in vivo and at rest, respond to activation of 5-HT(1B) and 5-HT(2) receptors, alpha(1)- and alpha(2)-adrenoceptors and nerve stimulation; the dilator effect mediated by 5-HT(7) receptor activation was also detected. The data validate a new animal model to study superficial vein reactivity and its pharmacological sensitivity.

A study of ATP as a sympathetic cotransmitter in human saphenous vein

1. Strips of human saphenous veins were superfused with Krebs-Henseleit solution at either 25 degrees C or 37 degrees C. Constrictor responses to electrical stimulation (10 Hz, 40 s) but not to exogenous noradrenaline (0.1, 1 microM) were abolished by guanethidine (10 microM) and tetrodotoxin (1 microM). Hence, responses to electrical stimulation are due to action potential-induced release of sympathetic neurotransmitters. 2. Constrictor responses to electrical stimulation and noradrenaline were reduced by the alpha 1-adrenoceptor antagonist, prazosin (0.3 microM) as well as by the alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonist, rauwolscine (1 microM). The combination of prazosin and rauwolscine abolished constrictor responses to noradrenaline at 25 degrees C and 37 degrees C. However, constrictor responses to electrical stimulation were partly resistant to alpha-adrenoceptor blockade by prazosin and rauwolscine (at 25 degrees C about 30%). Residual constrictor responses to electrical stimulation were also observed in the presence of the combination of prazosin (3 microM) and rauwolscine (10 microM) as well as in the presence of phenoxybenzamine (10 microM). 3. Veins, incubated with [3H]-noradrenaline, released tritium upon electrical stimulation (10 Hz, 40 s). Moreover, electrical stimulation also induced an overflow of ATP amounting to 4.8 +/- 1.5 pmol g-1 at 25 degrees C and 2.0 +/- 0.5 pmol g-1 at 37 degrees C. Both tritium and ATP overflow were abolished by tetrodotoxin (0.5 microM). The combination of prazosin (0.3 microM) and rauwolscine (1 microM) increased tritium overflow at either 25 degrees C or 37 degrees C by about 120%, but reduced ATP overflow by about 70%. Hence, a significant percentage of the electrically evoked ATP overflow seems to be released from non-neuronal cells upon activation of alpha-adrenoceptors by endogenous noradrenaline. The remaining ATP overflow, which was resistant to alpha-adrenoceptor blockade, may reflect neuronally released ATP.4. ATP (300 MicroM) and alpha,Beta-methylene-ATP (1, 10 MicroM), both induced constrictor responses. The P2-purinoceptor antagonist, suramin (300 MicroM) markedly inhibited constrictor responses to ATP and alpha, beta-methylene-ATP, but not those to electrical stimulation and to noradrenaline. Moreover, suramin(300 MicroM) failed to diminish the alpha-adrenoceptor blockade-resistant constrictor response to 10 Hz.5. In conclusion, constrictor responses to sympathetic nerve stimulation in human saphenous veins are mainly but not exclusively mediated by neuronally released noradrenaline. There is a concomitant release of ATP and noradrenaline. P2-purinoceptors which mediate vasoconstriction are present; however,a role of neuronally released ATP in constrictor responses to electrical stimulation could not be established. Therefore, the nature of the sympathetic transmitter responsible for alpha-adrenoceptor blockade-resistant constrictor responses remains unknown.

Alpha 1- and alpha 2-adrenoceptors at different levels of the canine saphenous vein

Presynaptic alpha2- and postsynaptic alpha1-adrenoceptors were compared at the distal and proximal parts of the dog saphenous vein. The results obtained show that: (1) yohimbine is more effective against postsynaptic responses to phenylephrine distally than proximally. On the contrary, WB-4101 is more effective proximally; (2) phenylephrine increases inositol monophosphate production at both levels, but the increase is more pronounced distally; (3) UK-14, 304 and adrenaline reduce and yohimbine and phentolamine increase the release of 3H-noradrenaline caused by electrical stimulation at both levels. However, while adrenaline as well as the antagonists are equipotent at the two levels, UK-14,304 is more potent distally than proximally. In conclusion, we suggest that: more alpha 1A-adrenoceptors exist distally than proximally; imidazoline sites can exist at the distal level which contribute to the higher potency of UK-14,304 distally.