Effects of some catecholamines on noradrenergic transmission in the rabbit ear artery

1. The effects of noradrenaline, adrenaline, isoprenaline, dopamine and the N-methyl and alpha-methyl homologoues of dopamine were studied on tritium release and on vasoconstrictor responses to sympathetic nerve stimulation in isolated arteries of the rabbit ear after labelling noradrenergic transmitter stores with 3H-noradrenaline. These observations were made in the presence of cocaine (100 muM). 2. Noradrenaline (0-5 and 5 muM) inhibited transmitter release and abolished vasoconstrictor responses. A concentration of 0-05 muM had no effect on transmitter release, although the vasoconstrictor response was reduced and there was sometimes a vasodilator response. 3. Adrenaline in concentrations of 0-05, 0-5 and 5 muM decreased transmitter release and vasoconstrictor responses; sometimes there was a vasodilator response. 4. Isoprenaline in concentrations of 0-05, 0-5 and 5 muM did not affect transmitter release. Vasoconstrictor responses were either unaffected or enhanced by all concentrations of isoprenaline when infusions had been in progress for 15 min; but immediately after beginning the infusion of 5 muM isoprenaline, the response was reduced. 5. Dopamine (0-05, 0-5 and 5 muM) produced a concentration-dependent decrease in transmitter release, but vasoconstrictor responses were not reduced with infusions of 0-05 or 0-5 muM; during infusions of 5 muM, stimulation produced a vasodilator response.