In vivo effects of alpha-adrenoceptor agonists and antagonists on pial veins of cats.

Cerebral blood volume and intracranial pressure may be modified by influences on cerebral veins. The known adrenergic innervation of cerebral veins and their sensitivity to norepinephrine raised the question, whether pial veins can be selectively influenced through adrenoceptors in vivo. Therefore, alpha 1 and alpha 2 adrenoceptor agonists and antagonists were locally injected into the perivascular space of pial veins using the microapplication technique. The alpha 1 and alpha 2 adrenoceptor antagonists, prazosin and yohimbine, had only minor effects on pial veins. Both antagonists blocked constrictions induced by norepinephrine (10(-5)M) in a concentration dependent manner (10(-7)-10(-4)M). The alpha 1 adrenoceptor agonist phenylephrine caused significant (10(-7)-10(-3)M) constriction of pial veins, with a maximum of 11.6% of initial diameter at 10(-3)M. Oxymetazoline, an alpha 2 receptor agonist, induced a significant constriction only at 10(-3)M (5.1%). Since both alpha 1 and alpha 2 adrenoceptor agonists are less potent constrictors of pial veins than norepinephrine in vivo, a preferential use of alpha 1 or alpha 2 adrenoceptor agonists cannot be recommended from these experiments, if a therapeutic reduction of intracranial pressure or blood volume is desired.