Alpha 2-adrenoceptor mediated inhibition of the release of radiolabelled 5-hydroxytryptamine and noradrenaline from slices of the dorsal region of the rat brain.

Possible local interactions between noradrenergic and serotonergic systems in the dorsal raphe region of the rat were investigated by studying the effects of various drugs on depolarization (20 mmol/l K+)-induced release of [3H]5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and [3H]noradrenaline (NA) in vitro using a superfusion method. Exogenous 5-HT did not influence the release of [3H]NA. However, NA (in the presence of 10 mumol/l desipramine) as well as the selective alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonists clonidine and oxymetazoline strongly inhibited [3H]5-HT release. The selective alpha 1-adrenoceptor agonists phenylephrine and methoxamine did not affect the release of either [3H]5-HT or [5H]NA. The inhibition by NA of both [3H]5-HT and [3H]NA release was not affected by the beta-adrenoceptor antagonist sotalol nor by the selective alpha 1-adrenoceptor antagonist prazosin. However, phentolamine and the selective alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonists yohimbine and rauwolscine competitively antagonized the inhibitory effect of NA on [3H]NA release (respective pA2-values 7.5 and 8.3) and on [3H]5-HT release (respective pA2-values 7.7 and 8.2). Moreover, the release of [3H]NA and also, but to a lesser extent, that of [3H]5-HT were increased by the antagonists. It is concluded that the release of both 5-HT and NA in the dorsal raphe region may be subject to presynaptic inhibition by NA via activation of alpha 2-adrenoceptors.