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Aging and vasoconstrictor responses mediated by alpha 2-adrenoceptors and 5-HT1 and 5-HT2 receptors
1Department of Physiology, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin.
Abstract:
The potencies of noradrenaline (NA) at producing alpha 2-adrenoceptor mediated contractions, and of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) at producing 5-HT1 and 5-HT2 receptor mediated contractions were investigated in rings of human saphenous vein obtained from varicose vein surgery. There was a significant negative correlation between agonist potency and age for NA at alpha 2-adrenoceptors (r = 0.52, n = 21, p < 0.05) and for 5-HT at both 5-HT1 (r = 0.47, n = 19, p < 0.05) and 5-HT2 (r = 0.54, n = 19, p < 0.05) receptors, so that both agonists were less potent with increasing age. This demonstrates an age-related decrease in alpha 2-adrenoceptor and 5-HT1 and 5HT2 mediated contractile responsiveness in the human saphenous vein.
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