Protein kinase C and alpha 2-adrenoceptor-mediated inhibition of noradrenaline release from the rat tail artery.

In isolated rat tail arteries preincubated with [3H]noradrenaline, electrical field stimulation evoked the overflow of tritium. Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), a protein kinase C (PKC) activating phorbol ester, time-dependently increased the overflow at 1 mumol/L but not at 0.1 mumol/L. In contrast, the overflow was not altered by phorbol 13-acetate (PA, 1 mumol/L), which does not influence the activity of PKC. Polymyxin B (70 mumol/L), an inhibitor of PKC, depressed the overflow when given alone and, in addition, attenuated the effect of PMA, 1 mumol/L. The selective alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonist B-HT 933 depressed the overflow; PMA, 1 mumol/L, did not interfere with the effect of B-HT 933, 10 mumol/L. The results provide evidence for the participation of prejunctionally located PKC in the release of noradrenaline. However, PKC does not seem to be involved in the alpha 2-adrenoceptor-agonist-mediated inhibition of noradrenaline release.