The influence of 17-beta-oestradiol and the natural oestrous cycle on alpha-adrenoceptor-mediated responses of the cardiovascular system in the rat

Clare Austin, R Chess-Williams

Research output: Contribution to journalArticle (journal)peer-review

8 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The effect of 17 beta-oestradiol pretreatment and the natural oestrous cycle on responses of rat cardiac and vascular alpha-adrenoceptors was investigated. It was found that treatment with the oestrogen had no effect on cardiac adrenoceptor sensitivity, while pretreatment with the hormone caused a significant increase in vascular alpha 2-, but not vascular alpha 1-adrenoceptor responsiveness. Pressor responses of pithed rats to selective alpha 1- or alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonists did not alter, however, during the natural oestrous cycle. These findings suggest that changes in oestrogen levels are capable of altering alpha-adrenoceptor-mediated vascular responses but that the relatively small changes in oestrogen which may occur throughout the natural oestrous cycle do not appear to alter the responses of these vascular alpha-adrenoceptors.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)656-60
Number of pages5
JournalJournal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology
Volume47
Issue number8
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 31 Aug 1995

Keywords

  • Adrenergic alpha-Agonists/pharmacology
  • Animals
  • Blood Pressure/drug effects
  • Decerebrate State
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Estradiol/pharmacology
  • Estrus/physiology
  • Female
  • Heart Atria/drug effects
  • Heart Rate/drug effects
  • In Vitro Techniques
  • Neuromuscular Junction/drug effects
  • Ovariectomy
  • Papillary Muscles/drug effects
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha/drug effects

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