Medetomidine stereoisomers delineate two closely related subtypes of idazoxan (imidazoline) I-receptors in the guinea pig.

A number of imidazoline, imidazole and guanidinium compounds and other drugs were compared for their ability to bind to non-adrenergic idazoxan (imidazoline) I-receptors in particulate guinea pig cerebral cortex and ileum smooth muscle fractions. Radioligand binding with [3H]idazoxan was used for the experiments. Computer modelling of the binding data gave dissociation constants for drug binding to both I-receptors and alpha 2-adrenoceptors. Most drugs showed similar affinities for I-receptors in cortex and ileum. However, medetomidine stereoisomers as well as a few other drugs clearly delineated the I-receptors in cortex and ileum as different.