Sympathetic component of the pressor response to angiotensin II in the pithed rat after pretreatment with disulfiram.

Pressor responses to angiotensin II in the pithed rat were unaffected or slightly increased by procedures such as reserpine pretreatment, alpha and beta adrenoceptor blocking agents or bethanidine which inhibit the sympathetic system. Disulfiram-induced inhibition of angiotensin II pressor responses was unaffected by pretreatment with either alpha-adrenoceptor blockers or bethanidine. Pretreatment with disulfiram prevented infusions of angiotensin II from increasing the responses to spinal sympathetic outflow stimulation. After inhibition of pressor responses to angiotensin II by disulfiram the responses were restored by infusions of noradrenaline, or alpha-methyldopa. The restored responses, unlike control responses, were inhibited by phentolamine. The results suggest that angiotensin II facilitates neuronal release of noradrenaline and that this effect is revealed most clearly when post-synaptic angiotensin II receptors are blocked.