Involvement of 5-HT1A receptors in blood pressure reduction by 8-OH-DPAT and urapidil in cats.

This study investigated the effects of (-)-pindolol, a putative 5-HT1A receptor antagonist, upon the central hypotensive action of the antihypertensive drug urapidil and of the purported 5-HT1A receptor agonist 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT) in cats. Chloralose/urethane-anesthetized cats were thoracotomized and artificially ventilated. Blood pressure was monitored in the iliac artery, and the drugs were injected into the vertebral artery. Urapidil (1-300 nmol/kg) or 8-OH-DPAT (0.01-1 nmol/kg) dose-dependently reduced blood pressure. (-)-Pindolol (30 and 100 nmol/kg) shifted the dose-response curves of both drugs significantly and in a similar manner to the right. Doses of urapidil of 30 nmol/kg or higher also reduced the elevation of blood pressure following the intravenous injection of the alpha 1-adrenoceptor agonist cirazoline whereas 8-OH-DPAT was ineffective. Yet, the hypotensive response to the directly acting vasodilator nitroglycerin remained unchanged after urapidil. The results support the hypothesis that the centrally mediated component of the antihypertensive action of urapidil is due to stimulation of 5-HT1A receptors in the brainstem. Peripheral alpha 1-adrenoceptor blockade comes into play with higher doses of the drug administered via the vertebral artery.