Role of the endothelium on the response to adrenoceptor agonists of rabbit aorta during cooling.

The role of the endothelium in the effects of cooling on the response to alpha1- and alpha2-adrenoceptor agonists of rabbit aorta was studied. The contractions induced by clonidine (10(-9)-3 x 10(-4) M) and xylazine (10(-7)-10(-3) M) but not phenylephrine (10(-9)-3 x 10(-4) M) and methoxamine (10(-9)-3 x 10(-4) M) were enhanced in endothelium-denuded or N(G)-nitro-L arginine methyl- ester (L-NAME) (10(-5) M) pretreated rabbit aorta. The sensitivity, but not the maximal response, of both alpha1- and alpha2-adrenoceptor agonists was significantly lower at 28 degrees C (cooling) than at 37 degrees C. Endothelium removal did not affect the action of cooling. These results were taken as evidence for the specificity of alpha2-adrenoceptor agonists on the production and release of nitric oxide from vascular endothelium. The results suggest that the endothelium seems to have no role in the cooling-induced responses of both alpha1- and alpha2-adrenoceptors.