Adrenergic, purinergic, and endothelial mediators and modulators of norepinephrine-induced mesenteric autoregulatory escape.

We evaluated the effects of potential factors in autoregulatory escape from norepinephrine-induced vasoconstriction in rat anterior mesenteric artery. We determined mesenteric artery blood flow velocity with a pulsed Doppler, sonic flowmeter, and systemic arterial blood pressure with a transducer. A 4-min norepinephrine infusion (0.125-1.0 x 10(-8) M/min) intravenously evoked a dose-dependent, initial vasoconstriction that was followed by rapid escape of blood flow toward or above the control value during sustained norepinephrine administration. Neonatal capsaicin treatment enhanced vasoconstrictor responses to norepinephrine but failed to affect escape parameters. Propranolol decreased norepinephrine-induced escape dose dependently. Adenosine deaminase attenuated escape, and the combination of this enzyme plus propranolol nearly abolished escape from norepinephrine-induced vasoconstriction. Methylene blue also diminished autoregulatory escape. These findings suggest that norepinephrine-induced autoregulatory escape involves simultaneous beta-adrenoceptor, purinergic, and endothelial mediation. Norepinephrine-evoked mesenteric vasoconstriction appears to involve predominantly alpha 2-adrenoceptors and is modulated by peptidergic sensory nerves and adenosine.