Noradrenaline release in rats during prolonged cold-stress and repeated swim-stress

1 Plasma noradrenaline concentration in rats was measured during prolonged cold-stress and repeated swim-stress. 2 Cold exposure for 6 h caused a rise in plasma noradrenaline which reached a peak at 4 h. 3 Administration of desmethylimipramine and normetanephrine to block neuronal and extra-neuronal uptake of noradrenaline raised plasma noradrenaline concentration without changing the pattern of the response to cold exposure. 4 Repeated cold exposure on subsequent days produced no change in the pattern of plasma noradrenaline concentration. 5 Five successive 1-min swims at 30-min intervals caused a rise in plasma noradrenaline concentration which was maximal after the third swim. 6 It is suggested that prolonged and repeated activation of sympathetic nerve terminals leads to a decline in noradrenaline release.