The lack of the effect of DA-1 and DA-2 dopamine agonists on the isolated guinea-pig atria.

1 The effects of dopamine and both DA-1 and DA-2 dopamine receptor agonists have been studied on the contractile force of electrically driven guinea-pig left atria and frequency of spontaneously beating right atria. 2 Pretreatment of animals with reserpine caused a parallel rightward shift of the concentration-response curve to dopamine of either preparation. 3 Propranolol, but not domperidone, shifted to the right the dose-response curve for the positive inotropic and chronotropic effects of dopamine. 4 Neither apomorphine, fenoldopam, bromocriptine nor piribedil had effects on the frequency and contractile force of the isolated guinea-pig atria. 5 These results suggest that DA-1 and DA-2 dopamine receptors are neither directly nor indirectly (prejunctional effect) involved in the inotropic and chronotropic effects of dopamine in isolated guinea-pig atria.