Blockade of postsynaptic alpha 2-adrenoceptors enhances responses to mixed alpha 1/alpha 2-agonists in rat submaxillary gland

The effects of selective blockade of alpha 2-adrenoceptors with idazoxan on salivary secretion elicited by several alpha-adrenoceptor agonists known to differ in their alpha 1/alpha 2 potency ratios were studied in the submaxillary gland. Doses of idazoxan ranging between 0.01 to 10 000 micrograms/kg did not produce secretion in anaesthetized rats. Idazoxan (3 micrograms/kg) effectively blocked the inhibitory action of clonidine, 10 micrograms/kg, on the responses to methacholine but did not change the sialagogic responses to either phenylephrine or isoprenaline. On the other hand, idazoxan enhanced the secretion elicited by other agonists known to have mixed alpha 1/alpha 2-agonistic properties. The degree of augmentation of the responses observed after alpha 2 blockade was: clonidine much greater than alpha-methyl-norepinephrine greater than norepinephrine. Guanabenz did not elicit secretory responses in either the presence or absence of idazoxan. These results argue that two components determine the magnitude of the sialagogic response induced by agonists with mixed alpha 1/alpha 2 activity: (a) an alpha 1-mediated secretory effect and (2) an alpha 2-mediated inhibitory effect, both being localized at postsynaptic level.