MECHANISM OF NORADRENALINE RELEASE FROM RABBIT ATRIA INDUCED BY NICOTINIC AGONISTS

  • 1 January 1980
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 247  (2) , 294-305
Abstract
The release of noradrenaline [norepinephrine, NE] and its metabolic products by the nicotinic agonists nicotine, 1,1-dimethyl-4-phenylpiperazinium (DMPP) and acetylcholine (in the presence of atropine) was investigated in rabbit atria in which the transmitter stores were labelled with (3H)-NE. The proportions of NE and its metabolic products released by nicotine (50 .mu.M), DMPP (100 .mu.M) and acetylcholine (1.6 mM, in the presence of atropine (6 .mu.M)) were similar to those released by sympathetic nerve stimulation: (3H)-NE comprised > 90% of the tritiated compounds released by these agents. No nicotinic agonist affected the activity of monoamine oxidase extracted from rabbit atria. Nicotinic agonists and sympathetic nerve stimulation apparently release NE from the same sites and by similar mechanisms, presumably by exocytosis of the contents of transmitter storage vesicles.

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