Dopamine-sensitive receptors that evoke rumination and modify reticulo-ruminal activity in sheep.

Dopamine (20 micrograms/kg) evoked rumination in sheep when injected as a bolus into the coeliac artery or into the left gastric artery but not when injected into the carotid artery. A mixed alpha-adrenoreceptor antagonist (phentolamine) and an alpha 2-adrenoreceptor antagonist (yohimbine) prevented dopamine from evoking rumination, but a dopaminergic antagonist (metoclopramide) did not. These findings suggest that dopamine stimulated rumination by acting upon alpha 2-adrenoreceptors situated in the area supplied by the left gastric artery, whereas dopamine injected intracerebrally may have evoked rumination by an alpha 2-adrenoreceptor effect in the central nervous system (Bueno et al., 1983) and the actions of intrajugular dopamine were exclusively upon peripheral adrenoreceptors located specifically in the gastric area. Dopamine (1 microgram/kg/min) infused into the carotid artery reduced the frequency of reticular contractions by acting upon a centrally located dopaminergic receptor mechanism sensitive to metoclopramide but not to phentolamine. When dopamine was infused into the coeliac artery or into the left gastric artery, the amplitude of reticular contractions was reduced by a peripheral mechanism sensitive both to metoclopramide and to phentolamine. Dopamine also reduced the amplitude of reticular contractions when infused into the carotid artery but to a lesser degree than when given into the coeliac or left gastric artery.