Norepinephrine constricts the canine coronary bed via postsynaptic alpha 2-adrenoceptors

The effect of alpha 2-blockade (0.3 mg/kg i.v. rauwolscine) and alpha 1-blockade (1.2 mg/kg i.v. prazosin) on coronary constrictions induced by intracoronary injections of azepexole (B-HT 933, alpha 2-agonist, 0.1-10 microgram/kg), phenylephrine (0.3-3 microgram/kg) and norepinephrine (0.001-0.1 microgram/kg) were studied in dog hearts perfused in situ under beta-blockade. Constrictions by azepexole (antagonized by rauwolscine, yet resistant to prazosin and methysergide) demonstrated coronary alpha 2-adrenoceptors. Norepinephrine-induced constrictions were more attenuated (22-fold) by alpha 2-blockade than by alpha 1-blockade (2.6-fold) and thus were mediated mainly by activation of postsynaptic alpha 2-receptors.