Comparison of mianserin with desipramine, maprotiline and phentolamine on cardiac presynaptic and vascular postsynaptic alpha-adrenoceptors and noradrenaline reuptake in pithed normotensive rats.

1 The cardiovascular effects of intravenous desipramine (0.03 and 0.1 mg/kg), maprotiline (0.5 mg/kg), mianserin (1.0 and 3.0 mg/kg) and phentolamine (0.25 mg/kg) were examined and compared in pithed rats. Several experimental procedures were used in order to distinguish between the effects of the compounds on cardiac presynaptic alpha-adrenoceptors and on neuronal noradrenaline reuptake, as inhibition of either mechanism produces an increase of neurotransmitter concentration within the sympathetic synapse and therefore results in a greater end organ response.2 Pressor responses elicited by noradrenaline were potentiated by desipramine and maprotiline, reduced by phentolamine and not significantly modified by mianserin. However, all four compounds inhibited the pressor action of tyramine. Furthermore, mianserin reduced the pressor response to adrenaline.3 Desipramine, maprotiline and mianserin, but not phentolamine enhanced the positive chronotropic effects of noradrenaline, without affecting those of isoprenaline.4 All four compounds abolished the clonidine-induced inhibition of heart rate responses to short term electrical stimulation of the spinal cord. Moreover, in rats with a persistent tachycardia (induced by continuous stimulation of the thoracic spinal cord) desipramine, maprotiline and mianserin further increased heart rate. This effect was also observed in animals pretreated with phentolamine, administered in order to inhibit cardiac presynaptic alpha-adrenoceptors.5 In rats with a sustained tachycardia (100 beats/min produced by electrical stimulation of the spinal cord) both mianserin and phentolamine, in contrast to desipramine, shifted the clonidine heart rate dose-response curve to the right. Phentolamine was about 34 times more potent than mianserin in this respect.6 In pithed, reserpine-treated rats, the pressor responses to clonidine were not significantly modified by desipramine. The dose-response curves were shifted to the right by phentolamine (0.25 mg/kg) and mianserin (3.0 mg/kg).7 These results indicate that mianserin is an antagonist of both cardiac presynaptic and vascular postsynaptic alpha-adrenoceptors and also inhibits the neuronal reuptake of noradrenaline.