Monophasic and biphasic effects of angiotensin II and III on norepinephrine uptake and release in rat adrenal medulla.

Angiotensin II and III have hypertensive effects. They induce vascular smooth muscle constriction, increase sodium reabsorption by renal tubules, stimulate the anteroventral third ventricle area, increase vasopressin and aldosterone secretions, and modify catecholamine metabolism. In this work, angiotensin II and III effects on norepinephrine uptake and release in rat adrenal medulla were investigated. Both angiotensins decreased total and neuronal norepinephrine uptake. Angiotensin II showed a biphasic effect only on evoked neuronal norepinephrine release (an earlier decrease followed by a later increase), while increasing the spontaneous norepinephrine release only after 12 min. On the other hand, angiotensin III showed a biphasic effect on evoked and spontaneous neuronal norepinephrine release. Both angiotensins altered norepinephrine distribution into intracellular stores, concentrating the amine into the granular pool and decreasing the cytosolic store. The results suggest a physiological biphasic effect of angiotensin II as well as angiotensin III that may be involved in the modulation of sympathetic activity in the rat adrenal medulla.