The effects of alpha,beta-methylene ATP, an agent known to stimulate and then to desensitize P2-purinoceptors, on the release of endogenous
norepinephrine from the electrically stimulated rat caudal artery were determined.
Norepinephrine was quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography-electrochemical detection techniques. alpha,beta-Methylene ATP over the concentration range of 1 to 100 microM did not affect the release of
norepinephrine evoked by stimulation for 3 min at 1 Hz. In contrast,
2-chloroadenosine, a P1 receptor agonist, and beta,gamma-methylene ATP, a P2 receptor agonist, produced a concentration-related inhibition of the release of
norepinephrine presumably by activating prejunctional purinoceptors. The failure of alpha,beta-methylene ATP to inhibit transmitter release was apparently not related to the length of pretreatment with this agent because pretreatments of 0.5 to 15 min yielded similar results. These findings indicate that the ability of alpha,beta-methylene ATP to ...