The local anaesthetic benzyl alcohol attenuates the alpha 2-adrenoceptor-mediated inhibition of human platelet adenylate cyclase activity when stimulated by prostaglandin E1, but not that stimulated by forskolin.

Treatment of human platelets with concentrations of benzyl alcohol up to 50 mM augmented adenylate cyclase activity when it was assayed in the basal state and when stimulated by prostaglandin E1 (PGE1), isoprenaline or NaF. Benzyl alcohol antagonized the stimulatory effect exerted on the catalytic unit of adenylate cyclase by the diterpene forskolin. Benzyl alcohol did not modify the magnitude of the inhibitory response when the catalytic unit of adenylate cyclase was inhibited by using either low concentrations of guanosine 5'-[beta gamma-imido]triphosphate, which acts selectively on the inhibitory guanine nucleotide-regulatory protein Gi, or during alpha 2-adrenoceptor occupancy, by using adrenaline (+ propranolol). Some 34% of the potent inhibitory action of adrenaline on PGE1-stimulated adenylate cyclase was obliterated in a dose-dependent fashion (concn. giving 50% inhibition = 12.5 mM) by benzyl alcohol, with the residual inhibitory action being apparently resistant to the action of benzyl alcohol at concentrations up to 50 mM. Treatment of membranes with benzyl alcohol did not lead to the release of either the alpha-subunit of Gi or G-protein subunits. The alpha 2-adrenoceptor-mediated inhibition of adenylate cyclase was abolished when assays were performed in the presence of Mn2+ rather than Mg2+ and, under such conditions, dose-effect curves for the action of benzyl alcohol on PGE1-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity were similar whether or not adrenaline (+propranolol) was present. We suggest that (i) alpha 2-adrenoceptor- and Gi-mediated inhibition of PGE1-stimulated adenylate cyclase may have two components, one of which is sensitive to inhibition by benzyl alcohol, and (ii) the Gi-mediated inhibition of forskolin-stimulated adenylate cyclase exhibits predominantly the benzyl alcohol-insensitive component.