Participation of alpha 2-adrenergic receptors in neural vascular tone of canine skeletal muscle.

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Studies were carried out in anesthetized, paralyzed, and ventilated dogs to determine whether postsynaptic alpha 2-adrenergic receptors participated in neurally mediated vascular tone in skeletal muscle. Hindlimb skeletal muscle resistance (RL) and blood flow (QL) were determined before, during, and after reversible cold block of the sciatic nerve. This sequence of observations was repeated 30 min after blockade of alpha 1-adrenergic receptors with prazosin. Then the alpha 2-adrenergic receptors were blocked with yohimbine, and the nerve cold block was repeated. When the sciatic nerve was cold blocked before alpha 1-adrenergic blockade, RL decreased approximately 50% and QL increased 75% (P less than 0.05) and then returned to control when the nerve was rewarmed. After alpha 1-block 76% of neural tone remained as assessed by nerve cooling (P less than 0.05). This phenomenon occurred despite effective alpha 1-adrenergic blockade as assessed by the alpha 1-receptor agonist methoxamine. With alpha 1- plus alpha 2-block no change in RL or QL was seen with nerve cold block. The same protocol was repeated in a second series of animals, but mean arterial pressure, which fell after alpha 1-block in the group above, was maintained by dextran infusion at normotensive levels. In these animals, 40% of neural tone remained after alpha 1-block. Both alpha 1- and alpha 2-adrenergic blockers were again needed to abolish the QL and RL response to nerve cold block. In another series of animals, yohimbine was administered before prazosin. In this series, alpha 2-adrenergic blockade greatly reduced neural tone as assessed by nerve cooling.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)