Probable involvement of vascular angiotensin II formation in the beta 2-adrenoceptor-mediated facilitation of the neurogenic vasopressor response in the pithed rat.

Rats were pithed, vagotomized and adrenalectomized and the effect of procaterol on the pressor response to electrical stimulation of the thoracolumbar preganglionic sympathetic outflow from the spinal cord or to exogenous noradrenaline was studied in the absence and presence of beta-adrenoceptor antagonists and drugs interfering with the renin-angiotensin system. 1. Basal diastolic blood pressure was decreased by captopril, ramiprilate (angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors), saralasin (an angiotensin II receptor antagonist), pepstatin A (a protease inhibitor with renin antagonistic properties) and by functional nephrectomy (ligation of both renal hili), but was not affected by procaterol (a beta 2-adrenoceptor agonist), nebivolol (a beta 1-adrenoceptor antagonist) and ICI 118,551 (erythro-dl-1-(7-methylindan-4-yloxy)-3-isopropylaminobut an-2-ol; a beta 2-adrenoceptor antagonist). 2. The vasopressor response induced by electrical stimulation of the preganglionic sympathetic nerve fibres was increased by procaterol, whereas the increase in blood pressure evoked by exogenous noradrenaline was not affected. The pressor response to both electrical stimulation and exogenous noradrenaline was decreased by captopril, ramiprilate, saralasin and nephrectomy but was not affected by nebivolol and ICI 118,551. 3. The facilitatory effect of procaterol on the neurogenic, electrically induced pressor response, which was also obtained when basal blood pressure was decreased by nephrectomy and increased by Lys8-vasopressin, was abolished by ICI 118,551 but not affected by nebivolol. Under none of these experimental conditions did procaterol alter the vasopressor response to exogenous noradrenaline. 4. The facilitatory effect of procaterol on the neurogenic, electrically induced rise in blood pressure was abolished by captopril, ramiprilate, saralasin and pepstatin A.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)