Neuronal and extraneuronal uptake of 3H-noradrenaline in rat portal vein in vitro.

Abstract

Rat portal veins were incubated with 3 different concentrations of 3H-l-noradrenaline (3H-l-NA) and the radioactive material retained in the tissue as well as that present in the postincubation medium was analyzed after a postincubation period in substrate-free medium. Inhibition of the neuronal amine uptake mechanism (by preincubation with LU 3-010) reduced the retention of radioactivity in the tissue more at low than at high substrate concentrations. At increasing substrate concentrations the relative role of the extraneuronal amine uptake was increased. Corticosterone and hydrocortisone reduced extraneuronal accumulation whereas betamethasone and methylprednisolone in the concentrations used were ineffective, indicating that the inhibition of extraneuronal uptake by the corticosteroids is unrelated to their glucocorticoid potency. When the composition of the retained radioactivity was analyzed, NA was found to be the major component of the retained radioactivity after inhibition of extraneuronal uptake, whereas tritiated catabolites were found to be the predominating constituent of the retained radioactivity after neuronal uptake inhibition. The possible role of inactivation of the adrenergic transmitter by the extraneuronal uptake mechanism in different situations is discussed.