Evidence that the population of postjunctional-adrenoceptors mediating contraction of smooth muscle in the rabbit isolated ear vein is predominantly alpha 2.

1. Noradrenaline (NA), phenylephrine and UK-14304 elicited concentration-dependent contractions of the rabbit isolated ear vein of similar maximal magnitude. The rank order of potency, UK-14304 greater than noradrenaline greater than phenylephrine, is consistent with that of an effect mediated through an alpha 2-subtype. 2. The potent and highly selective alpha 1-adrenoceptor antagonists prazosin and YM-12617, at concentrations as high as 1 microM, produced less than a 4 fold rightward displacement of the NA concentration-response curve. 3. The selective alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonists rauwolscine, Wy-26703 and CH-38083 antagonized responses to noradrenaline in a competitive manner. For all three antagonists, the pA2 values were consistent with an effect at alpha 2-adrenoceptors. However, 0.1 microM YM-12617 increased the potency of rauwolscine 2 fold indicating the presence of a small population of postjunctional alpha 1-adrenoceptors. 4. The relative antagonist potency of the yohimbine diastereoisomers rauwolscine and corynanthine against noradrenaline (rauwolscine 30 fold greater than corynanthine) is also consistent with an effect at alpha 2-adrenoceptors. 5. Contractions elicited by noradrenaline in the rabbit isolated ear vein appear to be mediated predominantly by postjunctional alpha 2-adrenoceptors.