Autoinhibition of noradrenaline release from the rat heart as a function of the biophase concentration. Effects of exogenous alpha-adrenoceptor agonists, cocaine, and perfusion rate.

1. Rat isolated perfused hearts with the right sympathetic nerves intact were loaded with 3H-(-)-noradrenaline. The nerves were stimulated with trains of 180 pulses at 3 Hz and at 10 min intervals. The overflow of 3H-noradrenaline and 3H-metabolites was determined by liquid scintillation spectrometry. 2. Clonidine (IC50 17 nM), oxymetazoline (IC50 63 nM), and α-methylnoradrenaline (apparent IC50 35 nM, determined in the presence of cocaine and propranolol) decreased the stimulation-evoked overflow of 3H-noradrenaline by 26, 49, and 78%, respectively, but not methoxamine up to 100 μM (propranolol present). Oxymetazoline and α-methyl-noradrenaline did not cause desensitization of the presynap…