Cross tolerance between the potassium (K+) channel opener, cromakalim and the beta 2-adrenoceptor agonist, salbutamol, was investigated in the uterus of the non-pregnant rat in vivo. Uterine sensitivity to salbutamol was similar in both vehicle-treated and cromakalim-tolerant rats. In salbutamol-tolerant rats, uterine responses to cromakalim were markedly decreased compared with saline-infused rats, such that maximum inhibition of uterine contractions was less than 40%. 2. Propranolol treatment and salbutamol tolerance each produced similar reductions in sensitivity of the uterus to salbutamol of approximately 10 fold. The same dose of propranolol did not influence uterine sensitivity to cromakalim, which suggests that the relaxant action of cromakalim is not due to a direct or indirect activation of uterine beta 2-adrenoceptors. 3. Salbutamol produced a marked (11.7 fold) increase in uterine adenosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate (cyclic AMP) concentrations measured ex vivo, which was completely inhibited by propranolol pretreatment, but was unaffected by glibenclamide pretreatment. Cromakalim did not increase uterine cyclic AMP concentrations, suggesting that stimulation of adenylate cyclase is not significant in the uterine relaxant action of cromakalim. 4. The lack of propranolol antagonism of cromakalim and of cromakalim-induced changes in uterine cyclic AMP concentrations suggests that the cross tolerance observed between salbutamol and cromakalim may be at the level of K(+)-channels.
