Enhanced stimulus-induced neurotransmitter overflow in epinephrine-induced hypertensive rats is not mediated by prejunctional beta-adrenoceptor activation.

The present study examines the effect of 6-day epinephrine treatment (100 micrograms/kg per h, s.c.) on stimulus-induced (1 Hz) endogenous neurotransmitter overflow from the isolated perfused kidney of vehicle- and epinephrine-treated rats. Renal catecholamine stores and stimulus-induced overflow in the vehicle-treated group consisted of norepinephrine only. However, epinephrine treatment resulted in the incorporation of epinephrine into renal catecholamine stores such that approximately 40% of the catecholamine present was epinephrine while the norepinephrine content was reduced by a similar degree. Total tissue catecholamine content of the kidney on a molar basis was unchanged. Stimulus-induced fractional overflow of neurotransmitter from the epinephrine-treated kidneys was approximately twice normal and consisted of both norepinephrine and epinephrine in proportions similar to those found in the kidney. This difference in fractional overflow between groups was not affected by neuronal and extraneuronal uptake blockade. Propranolol had no effect on stimulus-induced overflow in either group. Phentolamine increased stimulus-induced overflow in both groups although the increment in overflow was greater in the epinephrine-treated group. In conclusion, chronic epinephrine treatment results in enhanced fractional neurotransmitter overflow. However, neither alterations in prejunctional beta-adrenoceptor influences nor alterations in neuronal and extraneuronal uptake mechanisms appear to be responsible for this alteration. Furthermore, data obtained with phentolamine alone do not suggest alpha-adrenoceptor desensitization as the cause of the enhanced neurotransmitter overflow after epinephrine treatment.