Systemic arterial pressor responses induced by potassium in dogfish, Squalus acanthias

Intravascular injection of small doses of potassium (0.025-0.5 meq) into dogfish results in dose-related dorsal aortic pressor responses. The responses are blocked by phentolamine, an alpha-adrenergic blocking agent. Assays of plasma catecholamines before and after injection of potassium (K+) showed that plasma levels of epinephrine (E) and norepinephrine (NE) had increased significantly (E, 314%; NE, 233%) 1 min after injection. The pressor responses were initiated 40-90 s after K+ injection at which time plasma E and NE levels were already significantly elevated. Experiments on isolated dogfish arterial strips showed that phentolamine cannot block the increase in vascular smooth muscle tension that occurs after direct exposure to small increases (0.003 meq/ml) in K+ concentration. Because phentolamine effectively blocks the pressor response to even higher doses of K+ in vivo, it is thought that, in addition to any direct vasoconstrictor effect or K+, the adrenergic stimulation provided by catecholamine release is required to produce the observed pressor response.