Pharmacological characterization of spinal alpha adrenoceptors related to blood pressure control in rats

The effects of various alpha adrenoceptor agonists and antagonists injected into the spinal subarachnoid space on blood pressure and heart rate were investigated in pentobarbital-anesthetized male rats. A dose-dependent decrease in blood pressure and heart rate was induced by intrathecal injections of clonidine (0.3-3 micrograms), at the T6-T7 level. Guanabenz (3-30 micrograms) and an azepine derivative B-HT 920 (1-3 micrograms) also reduced blood pressure and heart rate. In contrast, an imidazolidine derivative St 587 (10 micrograms) was ineffective. The clonidine-induced hypotensive effect was antagonized by yohimbine but not by prazosin. Yohimbine (3-10 micrograms) alone caused an increase in blood pressure and heart rate while only a weak hypotenion occurred with prazosin (10 micrograms). Pretreatment with intrathecal 6-hydroxydopamine (50 micrograms X 2) did not impair the hypotensive action of clonidine (1 microgram) whereas the hypertensive effect of yohimbine was reduced markedly by this treatment. When injected i.v. or intrathecally at the C1-C2 level, clonidine (1 microgram) produced only a slight decrease in blood pressure. It is concluded that, in rat spinal cord, alpha-2 adrenoceptors located postsynaptically are involved in blood pressure control. Endogenous catecholamines, especially norepinephrine in the spinal cord seem to activate tonically the alpha-2 adrenoceptors.