Restoration of tyramine responses by bretylium, BW392C60, bethanidine and monoamine oxidase inhibitors in reserpine-treated rats.

1. Bretylium, BW392C60, bethanidine, nialamide and pheniprazine, but not guanethidine or ouabain, were all capable of restoring the cardiovascular response to tyramine in reserpine pretreated rats anaesthetized with sodium pentobarbitone.2. In parallel with their recorded in vitro activity as monoamine oxidase inhibitors, BW392C60 was found to be more potent at restoring the response to tyramine than bretylium or bethanidine.3. The restored responses to tyramine were completely blocked by desmethyl-imipramine or by a combination of phentolamine and propranolol.4. The effect of bretylium on the tyramine response was not influenced by bilateral adrenal demedullation, urethane anaesthesia, the dose or duration of the reserpine pretreatment and was not dependent upon the frequency of the tyramine injections.5. Bretylium, BW392C60 or bethanidine did not alter the pressor response to intravenous noradrenaline.6. Nialamide-induced restorations of the responses to tyramine were not further enhanced by the administration of bretylium, BW392C60 or bethanidine.7. In pithed reserpine-treated rats the ability of bretylium and BW392C60 to restore the response to tyramine was reduced.8. It is concluded that all the drugs which reversed the reserpine-induced subsensitivity to tyramine were acting as monoamine oxidase inhibitors, thus allowing the intra-neuronal accumulation of endogenously formed catecholamines. The presence of nerve impulses in the adrenergic fibres of reserpinized rats appears to be an important factor in mediating this effect.