Participation of central alpha-receptors on hemodynamic response to E. coli endotoxin

The time course of changes in mean blood pressure (MBP), heart rate (HR), and renal blood flow (RBF) in a control group of anesthetized dogs given only endotoxin (1 mg/kg iv) was compared with groups pretreated with alpha-antagonists either intravenously or intracisternally (ic). The decreases in MBP and RBF in the control group were abolished by intracisternal prazosin (0.1 mg/kg ic). MBP response to endotoxin after intravenous prazosin did not differ from that of the control group; however, the endotoxin-induced decrease in RBF after intravenous prazosin was significantly greater than that in the control group. HR responses to endotoxin were not altered by either intracisternal or intravenous prazosin. MBP and RBF responses to endotoxin after intravenous or intracisternal yohimbine (0.5 mg/kg iv or ic) did not differ from the control responses. However, significant differences occurred in the time course of changes in HR only when yohimbine was administered intracisternally. These observations suggest that the hypotensive effect and reduction of RBF due to endotoxin may be mediated by alpha 1-adrenoceptors at least in the central nervous system and that of HR response may be mediated alpha 2-adrenoceptors.