Prejunctional alpha 2-adrenoceptors inhibit acetylcholine release from cholinergic nerves in equine airways.

To determine the presence and function of alpha 2-adrenoceptors on cholinergic nerves innervating horse airway smooth muscle, the effects of some alpha 2-adrenoceptor agents on contractions of and acetylcholine (ACh) release from equine airway smooth muscle preparations were studied. Muscle contractions were elicited by either electrical field stimulation (EFS) or exogenous ACh. ACh release was induced by EFS and measured by high-pressure liquid chromatography and electrochemical detection. The alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonists clonidine (10(-7) to 10(-5) M) and UK-14,304 (10(-8) to 10(-6) M) concentration dependently inhibited ACh release and the contractile response to EFS but not the response to exogenous ACh. This inhibition was attenuated by the alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonists yohimbine and idazoxan but not by the alpha 1-adrenoceptor antagonist prazosin. These results indicate that alpha 2-adrenoceptors exist on cholinergic nerves innervating equine airway smooth muscle, and activation of these receptors inhibits cholinergic neurotransmission. The observation that yohimbine alone had little effect on the contractile response to EFS suggests that, under these experimental conditions, endogenous norepinephrine had no influence on tracheal cholinergic neurotransmission via prejunctional alpha 2-adrenoceptors.