Influence of endogenous catecholamines on responses of rat lung to beta-adrenergic agonist

Abstract

Relaxation responses to the beta-adrenoceptor agonists: isoprenaline (non selective), salbutamol (beta 2-selective) and noradrenaline (plus phentolamine 10(-5) M) (beta 1-selective) have been obtained on rat lung parenchymal strips in the absence and presence of pargyline and tropolone (monoamino-oxidase and catechol-O-methyltransferase inhibitors), cocaine (neuronal uptake blocking agent), corticosterone (extraneuronal uptake inhibitor) as well as in reserpinized rat.Responses to these beta-adrenergic agonists were not potentiated in the presence of any of these inhibitors.This indicates that endogenous catecholamines, enzymatic or uptake processes, do not modulate beta-adrenoceptor mediated responses of rat lung strip and demonstrates that there is no correlation between neuronal uptake/beta 1-adrenoceptors and extraneuronal uptake/beta 2-adrenoceptor mediated responses, as had previously been suggested.