The determination of presynaptic KA values of methacholine and pilocarpine and of a presynaptic receptor reserve in the rat perfused heart.

Rat isolated perfused hearts with the right sympathetic nerves attached were loaded with [3H]-noradrenaline. The nerves were stimulated with up to 11 trains of 10 pulses at 0.1 Hz. The evoked increases of [3H]-noradrenaline overflow into the perfusate were measured in the presence of cocaine, corticosterone and propranolol. Activation of presynaptic muscarinic receptors by methacholine or pilocarpine inhibited the evoked transmitter release in a reversible and concentration-dependent manner. Preperfusion with phenoxybenzamine (5 microM) for 15 min (followed by a washout of 35 min) changed neither resting nor evoked overflow of [3H]-noradrenaline. The concentration-response curve of methacholine was shifted to the right after exposure of the hearts to phenoxybenzamine (1 microM) without depression of the maximum effect. Pretreatment with phenoxybenzamine (5 microM) reduced the maximum inhibition of release by about 50%. Analysis of the data gave a dissociation constant for the agonist-receptor complex (KA) of 4.0 microM and a receptor reserve of roughly 70%. Half-maximal inhibition of [3H]-noradrenaline release occurred when about 2% of the total receptor population was occupied. Comparison of the concentration-response data for methacholine and pilocarpine revealed a relative efficacy (methacholine/pilocarpine) of 16, a KA of 10 microM for pilocarpine and no receptor reserve for this agonist. The results show that KA values for methacholine and pilocarpine obtained at presynaptic receptors are similar to those obtained at postsynaptic muscarinic receptors. This is in agreement with the idea that muscarinic receptors located on postganglionic adrenergic nerves are not different from those located on effector sites of non-neuronal tissue.