An in vitro quantitative analysis of the alpha adrenoceptor partial agonist activity of dobutamine and its relevance to inotropic selectivity.

In rat anococcygeus muscle, dobutamine produced concentration-related submaximal contractions which were antagonized competitively by phentolamine (pKB = 8.3) and dobutamine antagonized norepinephrine-induced contractions in a competitive manner with an equilibrium dissociation constant for the alpha adrenoceptor of 20 nM (pKB = 7.7). Therefore, dobutamine satisfied criteria for a partial agonist of alpha adrenoceptors having an affinity for alpha adrenoceptors 25 times that of norepinephrine (pKA = 6.3) in this tissue. An estimate of the relative efficacy of dobutamine showed one-fortieth the the efficacy of norepinephrine at the alpha adrenoceptors. Dobutamine contracted rabbit aorta and produced concentration-related relaxations at 1000 times greater concentrations after alkylation of alpha adrenoceptors by phenoxybenzamine. In noncontracted canine saphenous vein, dobutamine had no visible agonist activity but did produce contractions after propranolol. In partially contracted saphenous vein, dobutamine produced a small contraction which was converted to a propranolol-sensitive relaxation of tone after phentolamine. Dobutamine was a full beta adrenoceptor agonist in guinea-pig trachea under spontaneous tone but a partial agonist after strong contraction by bethanechol. This allowed measurement of the pKB of dobutamine at beta adrenoceptors (pKB = 5.35) and estimation of efficacy at beta adrenoceptors relative to isoproterenol (eDob/eIso = 1/20). No evidence for beta adrenoceptor selectivity was found in studies of potency ratios and relative efficacy using isoproterenol for comparison. Dobutamine showed a slight (2-fold) selectivity for inotropy in vitro when compared to isoproterenol in guinea-pig right and left atria. This selectivity was removed by phentolamine suggesting a cardiac alpha-like adrenoceptor effect; this finding was confirmed in propranolol-treated guinea-pig left atria. These results are discussed in terms of the in vivo effects of dobutamine and its use as a tool for classification of beta adrenoceptors, particularly the putative presynaptic beta adrenoceptor.