Activation of alpha 1- and alpha 2-adrenoceptors inhibits noradrenaline release in rabbit renal arteries: effects of pertussis toxin and N-ethylmaleimide.

1. The effects of selective alpha 1- and alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonists and antagonists on the stimulation-induced (S-I) outflow of radioactivity at 2 Hz were investigated in superfused rabbit renal arteries incubated with [3H]-noradrenaline. 2. The alpha 1-adrenoceptor agonist methoxamine (10 microM) inhibited S-I outflow of radioactivity and this effect was abolished by the alpha 1-adrenoceptor antagonist prazosin (0.1 microM) but not by the alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonist rauwolscine (1 microM). Neither the prostaglandin synthesis inhibitor indomethacin (10 microM) nor the adenosine receptor antagonist 8-phenyl-theophylline (1 microM) prevented the inhibitory effect of methoxamine. 3. The alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonists clonidine (0.1 microM) and UK 14304 (0.1 microM) both inhibited S-I outflow of radioactivity. The inhibitory effect of clonidine was blocked by rauwolscine but not by prazosin. The inhibitory effect of UK 14304 was markedly reduced by rauwolscine. 4. Prazosin (0.1 microM) alone did not enhance the S-I outflow of radioactivity at 2 Hz and slightly enhanced S-I outflow at 4 Hz. Rauwolscine (1 microM) alone markedly enhanced S-I outflow of radioactivity at 2 and 4 Hz. 5. Pretreatment of the arteries with pertussis toxin (1 microgram ml-1) did not significantly alter the inhibitory effects of methoxamine or UK 14304 or the potentiation by rauwolscine. However, pretreatment of the arteries with a higher concentration of pertussis toxin (5 micrograms ml-1) prevented the inhibitory effect of methoxamine but still did not affect the responses to UK 14304 and rauwolscine. 6. Pretreatment of the arteries with N-ethylmaleimide (NEM, 10 microM) for 30 min did not alter the inhibitory effect of methoxamine but markedly attenuated the inhibitory effect of UK 14304 and the facilitatory effect of rauwolscine. 7. The results suggest that both alpha 1- and alpha 2-adrenoceptors take part in the modulation of noradrenaline release from sympathetic nerves in rabbit renal arteries. Alpha 1-adrenoceptor mediated inhibition may be coupled to G-proteins which are pertussis toxin sensitive and alpha 2-adrenoceptor mediated inhibition to G-proteins which are NEM-sensitive.