[Effects of precursors and metabolites of catecholamines on motricity of isolated rat duodenum. Particular reference to dopamine].

Studying the effects, on the isolated rat duodenum motricity, of ten compounds precursors or metabolites of catecholamines, the following results were obtained: The direct metabolites of epinephrine and norepinephrine (metanephrine, normetanephrine), are either ineffective at concentrations below 5 X 10(-6) M, or weakly inhibitory at higher concentrations. Such inhibitory effects are prevented by alpha- and beta-blockers. 3-methoxy, 4-hydroxyphenylglycol and vanylmandelic acid have no significant effect. The catecholamine precursor, dopamine, the related compounds DOPA, 3 methoxytyramine, and to a lesser extent, 3-O methyl DOPA and homovanillic acid, have excito-motor effects at concentrations ranging mainly from 10(-7) M to 10(-5) M. At higher concentrations, the same compounds frequently exhibit inhibitory effects. The excito-motor effects might be due to a serotoninergic mechanism, since they are suppressed by the serotoninergic blocking agents methysergide and cyproheptadine. Furthermore, in the case of DOPA, we were able to establish a relationship between the excito-motor effects and duodenal serotonin stores. As for the inhibitory effects, they may be prevented by using alpha and beta blocking agents. Dihydroxyphenylacetic acid has no effect on the isolated rat duodenum motricity. The fact that dopamine and related compounds may have excitomotor effects at some concentrations, correlated with some physiopathological observations in man and animal allows some considerations about the eventual role of dopamine on intestinal motricity.