Adenosine antagonizes the positive inotropic action mediated via beta-, but not alpha-adrenoceptors in the rabbit papillary muscle.

In the isolated rabbit papillary muscle, adenosine (1-300 microM) alone scarcely affected the basal tension developed. The positive inotropic action of isoprenaline, mediated via beta-adrenoceptors, was inhibited by adenosine in a concentration-dependent manner. Atropine (0.3 microM) abolish the inhibitory action of carbachol on the isoprenaline-induced positive inotropic action but not affect the inhibitory asction of adenosine. Adenosine failed to inhibit the positive inotropic action exerted by phenylephrine via stimulation of alpha-adrenoceptors in the presence of pindolol (30 nM). The present results indicate that the positive inotropic action was mediated via alpha-adrenoceptors whose subecllular mechanism was not susceptible to the inhibitory action of adenosine as are beta-adrenoceptors.