The regulation of dopamine and noradrenaline in the rat carotid body and its modification by denervation and by hypoxia.

1. The mechanism whereby hypoxia lasting 20 min elicits a decrease in the dopamine content of rat carotid bodies was studied. 2. The concentrations of dopamine, noradrenaline, dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and homovanillic acid in carotid body were measured by a mass-fragmentographic procedure. The turnover rate of dopamine was determined by measuring the elimination rate of dihydroxyphenylacetic acid immediately after inhibition of monoamine oxidase by injection of pargyline. The turnover rate of noradrenaline was derived from measurements of the rate of decline of noradrenaline content after injection of L-methyl-p-tyrosine. 3. The results indicate that hypoxia increases the rate of dopamine release without changing its turnover rate thereby accounting for the decrease in dopamine content. The content and turnover rate of noradrenaline remained unchanged during exposure to hypoxia. 4. Neither the carotid sinus nerve nor the sympathetic innervation appeared to participate in the regulation of dopamine content or turnover rate in carotid bodies of rats either before or during hypoxia. 5. Since transection of the carotid sinus nerve or/and ganglionectomy failed to prevent the decrease of dopamine content caused by hypoxia, it is inferred that low arterial PO2 depletes dopamine stores independently of the above mentioned innervation.