Alpha 2-adrenergic Antagonist Idazoxan Research Articles

Guanfacine inhibits interictal epileptiform events and sodium currents in prefrontal cortex pyramidal neurons

BackgroundGuanfacine (an alpha-2A receptor agonist) is a commonly used drug with recognized efficacy in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This study aimed to assess the effects of guanfacine on short-lasting (interictal) epileptiform discharges in cortical neurons. Moreover, we assessed the effects of guanfacine on voltage-gated sodium currents.MethodsWe conducted patch-clamp recordings in prefrontal cortex pyramidal neurons obtained from young rats. Interictal epileptiform events were evoked in cortical slices in a zero magnesium proepileptic extracellular solution with an elevated concentration of potassium ions.ResultsInterictal epileptiform discharges were spontaneous depolarisations, which triggered action potentials. Guanfacine (10 and 100 µM) inhibited the frequency of epileptiform discharges. The effect of guanfacine on interictal events persisted in the presence of alpha-2 adrenergic receptor antagonist idazoxan. The tested drug inhibited neuronal excitability. Tonic NMDA currents were not influenced by guanfacine. Recordings from dispersed neurons showed that the tested drug (10 and 100 µM) inhibited persistent and fast inactivating voltage-gated sodium currents.ConclusionsThis study shows that guanfacine inhibits interictal discharges in cortical neurons independently of alpha-2A adrenergic receptors. This effect may be mediated by voltage-gated sodium currents. Inhibition of interictal activity by guanfacine may be of clinical importance because interictal events often occur in patients with ADHD and may contribute to symptoms of this disease.Graphical abstract

Antinociceptive Effects of the Antidepressant Phenelzine are Mediated by Context-Dependent Inhibition of Neuronal Responses in the Dorsal Horn

The putative strong anti-nociceptive properties of the antidepressant phenelzine (PLZ) have not been widely explored as a treatment for pain. Antinociceptive effects of PLZ were identified in the formalin model of tonic pain (Mifflin et al., 2016) and in allodynia associated with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, (EAE) a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (Potter et al., 2016). Here, we further clarify the specific types of stimuli and contexts in which PLZ modulates nociceptive sensitivity. Our findings indicate that PLZ selectively inhibits ongoing inflammatory pain while sparing transient reflexive and acute nociception. We also investigated the cellular mechanisms of action of PLZ in the dorsal horn, and as expected of a monoamine-oxidase inhibitor, PLZ increased serotonin (5HT) immunoreactivity. We next used two approaches to test the hypothesis that PLZ inhibits the activation of spinal nociresponsive neurons. First, we evaluated the formalin-evoked protein expression of the immediate early gene, c-fos. PLZ reduced Fos expression in the superficial dorsal horn. Second, we evaluated the effects of PLZ on intracellular calcium responses to superfusion of glutamate (0.3–1.0 mM) in an ex vivo lumbar spinal cord slice preparation. Superfusion with PLZ (100–300 μM) reduced 1 mM glutamate-evoked calcium responses. This was blocked by pretreatment with the 5HT1A-receptor antagonist WAY-100,635, but not the alpha-2 adrenergic antagonist idazoxan. We conclude that PLZ exerts antinociceptive effects through a 5-HT/5HT1AR-dependent inhibition of neuronal responses within nociceptive circuits of the dorsal horn.

SR 48968 selectively prevents faecal excretion following activation of tachykinin NK2 receptors in rats.

We tested the ability of SR 48968, (S)-N-methyl-N(4-(4-acetylamino-4-phenylpiperidino)-2-(3,4-dichloropheny l)butyl ) benzamide, a non-peptide antagonist highly selective for tachykinin NK2 receptors, to prevent defecation induced in rats by several agents. The tachykinin agonists substance P, [MePhe7]neurokinin B and [beta-Ala8]neurokinin A (4-10) all promoted defecation and increased faecal water content, the last compound being over ten times more potent than the other two (intraperitoneal dose inducing the excretion of 1 g faeces dry weight = 6.7 micrograms kg-1). SR 48968 given either orally (p.o.) or subcutaneously (s.c.) was similarly potent in dose-dependently inhibiting faecal output stimulated by the selective NK2-agonist [beta-Ala8]neurokinin A (4-10) (doses causing 50% inhibition 0.4 microgram kg-1, p.o. and 0.3 microgram kg-1, s.c.). This inhibition was long-lasting (more than 18 h after 1 microgram kg-1 SR 48968 either s.c. or p.o.). At the higher doses tested, SR 48968 also significantly prevented the increase in faecal water content produced by [beta-Ala8]neurokinin A (4-10). In rats treated with SR 48968, stimulation of faecal output by the alpha 2-adrenergic antagonist idazoxan and by salmonella endotoxin (LPS), but not by the 5-HT1A agonist 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino) tetralin, 5-HT, carbachol or platelet-activating factor, was partially prevented. The present results suggest that activation of intestinal NK2 receptors, either directly by the selective agonist [beta-Ala8]neurokinin A (4-10) or indirectly through the release of endogenous neurokinin A (by idazoxan or LPS), promotes defecation, presumably as a consequence of increased gut motility or secretion, or both. SR 48968 should therefore be useful for studying the role of neurokinin A-dependent mechanisms in health and disease, including those of the gastrointestinal system, and possibly for developing new therapeutic agents.

Postsynaptic α-2 Adrenergic Receptors are Critical for the Antidepressant-Like Effects of Desipramine on Behavior

The antidepressant desipramine inhibits the reuptake of norepinephrine (NE), leading to activation of both pre- and postsynaptic adrenergic receptors, including alpha-1, alpha-2, beta-1, and beta-2 subtypes. However, it is not clear which adrenergic receptors are involved in mediating its antidepressant effects. Treatment of mice with desipramine (20 mg/kg, i.p.) produced an antidepressant-like effect, as evidenced by decreased immobility in the forced-swim test; this was antagonized by pretreatment with the alpha-2 adrenergic antagonist idazoxan (0.1-2.5 mg/kg, i.p.). Similarly, idazoxan, administered peripherally (0.5-2.5 mg/kg, i.p.) or centrally (1-10 microg, i.c.v.), antagonized the antidepressant-like effect of desipramine in rats responding under a differential-reinforcement-of-low-rate (DRL) 72-s schedule, ie, decreased response rate and increased reinforcement rate. By contrast, pretreatment with the beta-adrenergic antagonists propranolol and CGP-12177 or the alpha-1 adrenergic antagonist prazosin did not alter the antidepressant-like effect of desipramine on DRL behavior. The lack of involvement of beta-adrenergic receptors in mediating the behavioral effects of desipramine was confirmed using knockout lines. In the forced-swim test, the desipramine-induced decrease in immobility was not altered in mice deficient in beta-1, beta-2, or both beta-1 and beta-2 adrenergic receptors. In addition, desipramine (3-30 mg/kg) produced an antidepressant-like effect on behavior under a DRL 36-s schedule in mice deficient in both beta-1 and beta-2 adrenergic receptors. As antagonism of presynaptic alpha-2 adrenergic receptors facilitates NE release, which potentiates the effects of desipramine, the present results suggest that postsynaptic alpha-2 adrenergic receptors play an important role in its antidepressant effects.

Gabapentin Activates Spinal Noradrenergic Activity in Rats and Humans and Reduces Hypersensitivity after Surgery

Gabapentin has been reported to inhibit various acute and chronic pain conditions in animals and humans. Although the efficacy of gabapentin depends on the alpha2delta subunit of voltage-gated calcium channels, its analgesic mechanisms in vivo are still unknown. Here, the authors tested the role of spinal noradrenergic inhibition in gabapentin's analgesia for postoperative pain. Gabapentin was administered orally and intracerebroventricularly to rats on the day after paw incision, and withdrawal threshold to paw pressure was measured. The authors also measured cerebrospinal fluid concentration of norepinephrine and postoperative morphine use after surgery in patients who received oral placebo or gabapentin. Both oral and intracerebroventricular gabapentin attenuated postoperative hypersensitivity in rats in a dose-dependent manner. This effect of gabapentin was blocked by intrathecal administration of the alpha2-adrenergic receptor antagonist idazoxan and the G protein-coupled inwardly rectifying potassium channel antagonist tertiapin-Q, but not by atropine. In humans, preoperative gabapentin, 1,200 mg, significantly increased norepinephrine concentration in cerebrospinal fluid and decreased morphine requirements. These data suggest that gabapentin activates the descending noradrenergic system and induces spinal norepinephrine release, which produces analgesia via spinal alpha2-adrenoceptor stimulation, followed by activation of G protein-coupled inwardly rectifying potassium channels. The authors' clinical data suggest that gabapentin activates the descending noradrenergic system after preoperative oral administration at the time of surgery. These data support a central mechanism of oral gabapentin to reduce postoperative pain and suggest that this effect could be magnified by treatments that augment the effect of norepinephrine release.

Nitric oxide-independent effects of tempol on sympathetic nerve activity and blood pressure in normotensive rats.

The role of the sympathetic nervous system in 4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl piperidinoxyl (tempol)-induced cardiovascular responses in urethane-anesthetized, normotensive rats was evaluated. Tempol caused dose-dependent (30-300 micromol/kg iv) decreases in renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA), mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), and heart rate (HR). Similar responses were obtained after sinoaortic denervation and cervical vagotomy. These responses were not blocked following treatment with the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor NG-nitro-L-arginine (2.6 mg x kg(-1) x min(-1) iv for 5 min) or the alpha2-adrenergic receptor antagonist idazoxan (0.3 mg/kg iv bolus). Idazoxan blocked the effects of clonidine (10 miccrog/kg iv) on HR, MAP, and RSNA. Hexamethonium (30 mg/kg iv) inhibited RSNA, and tempol did not decrease RSNA after hexamethonium. The effects of tempol on HR and MAP were reduced by hexamethonium. In conclusion, depressor responses caused by tempol are mediated, partly, by sympathoinhibition in urethane-anesthetized, normotensive rats. Nitric oxide does not contribute to this response, and the sympathoinhibitory effect of tempol is not mediated via alpha2-adrenergic receptors. Finally, tempol directly decreases HR, which may contribute to the MAP decrease.

The alpha2-adrenergic receptor antagonist idazoxan reduces dyskinesia and enhances anti-parkinsonian actions of L-dopa in the MPTP-lesioned primate model of Parkinson's disease.

Dopamine replacement therapy in patients with Parkinson's disease is plagued by the emergence of abnormal involuntary movements known as L-dopa-induced dyskinesias. It has been demonstrated that yohimbine can reduce L-dopa-induced dyskinesia in the MPTP-lesioned primate model of Parkinson's disease. Yohimbine is, among other things, an alpha-adrenergic receptor antagonist. In this study, we demonstrate that the selective and potent alpha2-adrenergic receptor antagonist idazoxan reduces L-dopa-induced dyskinesia in the MPTP-lesioned marmoset model of Parkinson's disease. The alpha2-adrenergic receptor antagonists rauwolscine and yohimbine also reduce L-dopa-induced dyskinesia. Furthermore, we demonstrate that coadministration of idazoxan with L-dopa can provide an anti-parkinsonian action more than twice the length of that seen with L-dopa alone. However, idazoxan as a monotherapy displayed no anti-parkinsonian actions. We propose that idazoxan in combination with L-dopa may provide a novel approach to the treatment of Parkinson's disease that will not only reduce the dyskinetic side effects, but extend the anti-parkinsonian actions of L-dopa. Idazoxan, as an adjunct to dopamine replacement, may prove useful in the treatment of parkinsonian patients at all stages of disease progression.

Endogenous nitric oxide masks alpha 2-adrenergic coronary vasoconstriction during exercise in the ischemic heart.

Previously, we observed that alpha 1-but not alpha 2-adrenergic vasoconstriction restricted blood flow distal to a coronary artery stenosis that resulted in myocardial hypoperfusion during exercise. This study was performed to test the hypothesis that vascular smooth muscle alpha 2-adrenergic vasoconstriction during exercise does exert a flow-limiting effect distal to a coronary artery stenosis but that this action is counterbalanced by simultaneous endothelial alpha 2-adrenergic stimulation of NO production. Eight dogs instrumented with a Doppler velocity probe, hydraulic occluder, and indwelling microcatheter in the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) were studied during treadmill exercise in the presence of a coronary artery stenosis before and during infusion of the alpha 2-adrenergic receptor antagonist idazoxan (1.0 microgram.kg-1.min-1 IC) before and after NO synthase blockade with NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (LNNA, 1.5 mg/kg IC). Coronary pressure distal to the stenosis was maintained constant during the control period and after administration of idazoxan before and after LNNA. Neither idazoxan nor LNNA altered any of the systemic hemodynamic variables either at rest or during exercise. During exercise in the absence of a stenosis, idazoxan and LNNA had no effect on coronary blood flow. In the presence of a stenosis that decreased distal coronary pressure to 52 +/- 3 mm Hg, mean myocardial blood flow measured with microspheres was 0.87 +/- 0.17 mL.min-1.g-1 in the LAD-dependent region and 2.52 +/- 0.30 mL.min-1.g-1 in the posterior control region, respectively. With no change in distal coronary pressure, idazoxan had no effect on mean myocardial blood flow in the LAD region (0.86 +/- 0.17 mL.min-1.g-1), but LNNA decreased mean myocardial blood flow to 0.49 +/- 0.09 (P < .01). However, when idazoxan was infused during exercise in the presence of a coronary artery stenosis after LNNA administration, idazoxan increased mean myocardial blood flow to 0.62 +/- 0.13 mL.min-1.g-1 (P < .01). These data demonstrate that alpha 2-adrenergic stimulation of endothelial NO production, which occurs during exercise in the presence of a flow-limiting coronary artery stenosis, acts to counterbalance vascular smooth muscle alpha 2-adrenergic vasoconstriction.

The alpha 2-adrenergic antagonist idazoxan enhances the frequency selectivity and increases the threshold of auditory cortex neurons.

Idazoxan (IDA), an alpha 2 antagonist of adrenoceptors, has been shown to increase cortical release of norepinephrine (NE) by an action mediated primarily by the alpha 2 autoreceptors located on the NE terminals. In the present experiment, IDA application was used to increase the cortial concentration of NE. Single unit activity (n = 107) was recorded in the rat auditory cortex, and the neurons' frequency receptive fields (FRF) were determined before and after systemic (intraperitoneal or intravenous) or local application of IDA. In the whole population (n = 107) there was a decrease in spontaneous activity and/or evoked activity for 84% of the recordings (90/107 cells). Decreased tone-evoked responses were obtained after systemic injections (n = 39), as well as after local applications (n = 68) of IDA. These effects were not observed after either systemic injections (n = 13) or local applications (n = 9) of saline. The signal-to-noise ratio (the mean evoked responses divided by the spontaneous activity) was slightly decreased after systemic injections and slightly increased after local applications. However, after both systemic and local injections the frequency selectivity of the neuronal responses was increased. For a group of neurons (n = 27), testing the FRF at three intensities indicated that this increased selectivity can be expressed at high or middle range intensity but not at low intensity. For 37 cells, the intensity function was tested at the best frequency before and after IDA application, and the threshold for excitatory responses was determined in 28 cases. An increased threshold was observed in 16 of 28 cases after IDA application. Thus, using a pharmacological procedure to increase the extracellular concentration of NE, the dominant inhibitory effect on the auditory cortex neurons led to an enhancement of the frequency selectivity, but also an increase in the threshold of these neurons.

Specific effects of idazoxan in a distraction task: evidence that endogenous norepinephrine plays a role in selective attention in rats.

Rats were injected with the alpha 2-adrenergic antagonist idazoxan (IDZ) prior to testing on vigilance and distraction tasks. In the vigilance task, rats responded with nose pokes to brief visual cues presented at variable intervals following trial onset. The distraction task was similar except that irrelevant odor cues (distractors) were presented in the interval prior to light onset on some trials. IDZ injection had no effect on performance in the vigilance task. In the distraction task, however, the higher IDZ dose (1.0 mg/kg) modulated the propensity to make a premature response when the distractors were presented. Notably, the direction of the effect varied with the rats' baseline level of distractibility. This pattern of effects suggests that endogenous norepinephrine (NE) influences distractibility and/or selective attention.

Reduction in focal cerebral ischemia by agents acting at imidazole receptors.

Treatment with the alpha 2-adrenergic antagonist idazoxan (IDA) can provide protection from global cerebral ischemia. However, IDA also recognizes another class of receptors, termed imidazole (IM) receptors, which differ from alpha 2-adrenergic receptors and are responsible for the hypotensive actions of some centrally acting agents such as the oxazole rilmenidine (RIL). We therefore sought to determine whether RIL, an agent highly selective for IM receptors, offered protection from focal cerebral ischemia elicited in rat by ligation of the middle cerebral artery (MCA). We compared the effects of RIL with the effects of IDA and the selective non-IM alpha 2-antagonist SKF 86466 (SKF). In addition, we examined whether the neuroprotective effects of RIL and IDA could be attributed to changes in local CBF (LCBF). The MCA was occluded and animals either received immediate administration of drug while arterial pressure was maintained for 1 h or had local CBF increased to 200% of control for 1 h by hypercapnia or hypertension. RIL elicited a significant dose-dependent preservation of tissue to 33% of control at optimal dose (0.75 mg/kg). IDA (3 mg/kg) significantly reduced the size of ischemic infarction by 22%. In contrast, SKF (15 mg/kg) as well as doubling of LCBF did not preserve ischemic tissue. We conclude that both RIL and IDA can reduce focal ischemic infarction but that the mechanism does not appear secondary to antagonism of alpha 2-adrenergic receptors or elevation of LCBF. Occupation of IM receptors, either in the ischemic zone or at remote brain sites, may be responsible for neuroprotection of RIL and IDA.

Site of hemodynamic effects of intrathecal alpha 2-adrenergic agonists.

Intrathecally administered alpha 2-adrenergic agonists produce analgesia in humans but may also produce hypotension and bradycardia. To further characterize hemodynamic depression produced by intrathecally administered alpha 2-adrenergic agonists, clonidine (100-1,500 micrograms) was injected into the cervical, thoracic, or lumbar intrathecal space of conscious sheep. Only thoracic intrathecal clonidine injection (100 or 300 micrograms) decreased blood pressure, whereas these doses did not affect blood pressure when injected at other sites. A greater clonidine dose (1,500 micrograms) increased blood pressure to a similar degree at all sites. Hypotension after thoracic intrathecal clonidine injection was inhibited by pretreatment with the alpha 2-adrenergic antagonist idazoxan (1 mg, intrathecally) or the depleter of acetylcholine stores hemicholinium-3 (2 mg, intrathecally), suggesting an action at alpha 2-adrenoceptors on cholinergic preganglionic sympathetic neurons. ST-91, a polar clonidine analog, did not decrease blood pressure after thoracic intrathecal injection. Intrathecal injection of the muscarinic receptor agonist carbamylcholine increased blood pressure. These data describe a complex action of intrathecal alpha 2-adrenergic agonists on hemodynamic parameters that is dependent on site of injection, drug dose, and drug lipophilicity; that can be explained by anatomic factors; and that may possibly be exploited to minimize hemodynamic depression from these agents.

Activation of α2-Adrenergic Receptors Decreases Ca2+Influx to Inhibit Insulin Secretion in a Hamster β-Cell Line: An Action Mediated by a Guanosine Triphosphate-Binding Protein*

Activation of the sympathetic nervous system inhibits insulin secretion. We tested the hypothesis that activation of alpha 2-adrenergic receptors on the beta-cell by epinephrine or clonidine attenuates insulin release by an effect on the voltage-dependent Ca2+ channel (VDCC) and examined the role of G-proteins in this signal transduction pathway. Using a cultured SV40-transformed hamster beta-cell line (HIT cells) as a model system, we determined the effect of alpha 2-adrenergic agonists on insulin secretion, 86Rb+ efflux (a marker for K+ channel flux), and the free cytosolic Ca2+ level [( Ca2+]i) monitored in fura-2-loaded cells. In a dose-dependent manner, epinephrine and clonidine (10(-8)-10(-5)M) attenuated the increase in [Ca2+]i and insulin secretion induced by either K+ depolarization or stimulation of the VDCC with the agonist Bay K 8644. Epinephrine failed to affect the rise in [Ca2+]i induced by carbamylcholine, an agent that mobilizes intracellular Ca2+. Epinephrine also did not changes 86Rb+ efflux from HIT cells. The inhibitory effects of epinephrine were prevented by the alpha 2-adrenergic antagonist idazoxan, but were unaffected by the alpha 1-adrenergic antagonist phenoxybenzamine. Pretreatment of HIT cells with pertussis toxin (0.1 micrograms/ml) overnight abolished the inhibitory effects of epinephrine and clonidine on both [Ca2+]i and insulin secretion. These data suggest that one mechanism by which alpha 2-adrenergic agonists inhibit insulin secretion is by inhibiting Ca2+ influx through VDCC, an action that is mediated through a pertussis toxin-sensitive G-protein.

Dexmedetomidine, an ??2-Adrenergic Agonist, Decreases Cerebral Blood Flow in the Isoflurane-Anesthetized Dog

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of dexmedetomidine, an alpha 2-adrenergic agonist, on cerebral blood flow and metabolic rate in dogs anesthetized with 0.64% isoflurane. After intubation and institution of mechanical ventilation, arterial, venous, pulmonary artery, and sagittal sinus catheters were inserted. Measurements of cerebral blood flow (CBF), cerebral metabolic rate for oxygen (CMRo2), mean arterial pressure, cardiac output, and blood gas tensions were made at various levels of isoflurane anesthesia (0.64%, 1.9%, and 2.8%), after the administration of 10 micrograms/kg of dexmedetomidine (a dose that has been shown to reduce anesthetic requirements in dogs by greater than 90%) and finally after 0.3 micrograms/kg of the alpha 2-adrenergic antagonist idazoxan. Despite an increase in arterial pressure, dexmedetomidine caused a marked reduction (greater than 45%, P less than 0.05) in CBF when compared with all preceding concentrations of isoflurane. The administration of dexmedetomidine had no effect on the CMRo2. The electroencephalogram showed a loss of high-frequency activity in a pattern similar to that seen with 1.90% isoflurane. Administration of dexmedetomidine was associated with a 57% decrease in cardiac output (to 0.89 L/min). Administration of idazoxan (an alpha 2-adrenergic antagonist) resulted in an increase in cardiac output and a reversal of the electroencephalogram effects. This experiment indicates that 10 micrograms/kg of dexmedetomidine in isoflurane-anesthetized dogs is associated with a profound decrease in CBF and cardiac output in the face of an unaltered CMRo2. Despite the large reduction in the CBF/CMRo2 ratio, there was no evidence of global cerebral ischemia.

Centrally administered neuropeptide Y (NPY) produces anxiolytic-like effects in animal anxiety models

Effects of intracerebroventricular (ICV), neuropeptide Y (NPY) (0.2-5.0 nmol) and its C-terminal 13-36 amino acid (AA) fragment (0.4-2.0 nmol) have been examined with respect to anxiolytic properties in two rat anxiety models, Montgomery's conflict test (MT), and Vogel's drinking conflict test (VT). In the MT, 1.0 and 5.0 nmol NPY abolished the normal preference for the closed arms of the maze. At 5.0 nmol, the total number of entries made into both closed and open arms was decreased by 50%. In the VT, both 0.2 and 1.0 nmol NPY markedly increased the number of shocks accepted. The effect of 5.0 nmol NPY was less pronounced. In control experiments, NPY (0.2 nmol) did not affect pain sensitivity or thirst. Pretreatment with the selective alpha 2-adrenergic receptor antagonist idazoxan, at a dose which by itself did not affect behaviour (2.0 mg/kg), antagonized the effect of 1.0 nmol NPY in the VT. NPY 13-36 was without significant effect in both models. The results suggest that NPY exerts anxiolytic-like effects, and that these effects are mediated through an interaction with noradrenergic systems. Higher doses of NPY produce sedation and ataxia, which decrease overall activity in the MT, and interfere with the ability fully to express behaviourally the anxiolytic-like effect in the VT. The findings are discussed in relation to the noradrenaline hypothesis of anxiety, and to observations indicating involvement of NPY in the pathophysiology of major depression.

Alpha-2 receptor blockade increases responsiveness of locus coeruleus neurons to excitatory stimulation

This study presents evidence that alpha 2-receptors in the locus coeruleus (LC) regulate the responsiveness of LC neurons to excitatory stimuli. In the first experiment, intravenous administration of the alpha 2-adrenergic antagonist idazoxan markedly potentiated the responses of LC neurons to the excitatory stimulus of contralateral hind paw compression (PC). Increased responsiveness of LC neurons to PC was seen with doses of idazoxan far below those that altered spontaneous activity of the LC. In the second experiment, increased responsiveness of LC neurons to PC was seen when low doses of idazoxan were infused directly into the LC, thereby indicating that increased responsiveness of LC neurons resulted from blockade of alpha 2-receptors in the LC region and not from greater stimulus input to the LC resulting from blockade of alpha 2-receptors elsewhere. In the third experiment, another alpha 2-adrenergic antagonist, yohimbine, also increased the responsiveness of LC neurons to PC. Finally, the response of the LC to another excitatory stimulus, peripheral injection of nicotine, was also found to be increased by idazoxan. Results obtained prior to these studies had indicated that alpha 2-receptors in the LC regulate the period of quiescence that follows a burst of LC firing. However, more recent studies suggest that this quiescence results primarily from changes in ionic conductance of the membrane following directly from depolarization. The present findings indicate that, in addition to whatever role alpha 2-receptors play in regulating postfiring quiescence, these receptors in the LC appear to play a major role in regulating the responsiveness of LC neurons to excitational influences.

Effects of the alpha 2-adrenergic agonist clonidine and its antagonist idazoxan on the fetal lamb.

1. The alpha 2-adrenergic agonist clonidine was given by aortic injection to three groups of unanaesthetized fetal lambs in utero near term. One group was intact, the second had the brain stem transected just above the pons, and the third had bilateral section of the carotid sinus nerves and cervical vagi. 2. Clonidine had similar effects in all three groups. Electrocortical activity entered a high-voltage, low-frequency episode: breathing, neck and limb movements ceased; arterial pressure remained unchanged or increased; heart rate fell or remained unchanged, and the variation in both heart rate and blood pressure was much reduced. This state lasted 10-20 min, and was followed by a period of up to 4 h during which the cycling of electrocortical activity was rapid and irregular. 3. The alpha 2-adrenergic antagonist idazoxan (0.5-2.0 mg I.A.) blocked all the actions of clonidine. When given alone it usually induced a short period of low-voltage electrocortical activity and stimulated breathing movements. These effects were present in both the intact and brain-stem-transected groups, though the stimulation of breathing was significantly reduced by brain-stem transection. There were no consistent effects on heart rate or blood pressure. 4. The effects of clonidine on fetal heart rate and electrocortical activity were similar to those described in adults, but it also had inhibitory effects, not present in adults, on fetal breathing and somatic movements.