The effect of isoprenaline on adrenoceptors in human saphenous vein.

1. The order of potency of sympathomimetic amines in causing contraction of strips of human saphenous vein was (-)-adrenaline>(-)-noradrenaline>(-)-phenylephrine>(+/-)-isoprenaline.2. The competitive alpha-adrenoceptor blocking drugs tolazoline, phentolamine, and thymoxamine and the irreversible blocking drug phenoxybenzamine all blocked noradrenaline and isoprenaline contractions.3. Contractions produced by 5-hydroxytryptamine were also blocked by phentolamine and thymoxamine. Fenfluramine-induced contractions were not blocked by thymoxamine or phenoxybenzamine.4. ED50 contracting doses of isoprenaline did not cause consistent relaxation of noradrenaline-contracted strips.5. It is concluded that human saphenous vein contains a dominant population of alpha-adrenoceptors which can be stimulated by high doses of isoprenaline, but the occurrence of beta-adrenoceptors mediating relaxation is rare.