Abstract-Phenylephrine, a selective a-adrenergic stimulant, caused a maximal re laxation of the taenia from guinea pig caecum in the concentration of 10-6 g/ml. Phenylephrine in this concentration did not influence intracellular cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP levels. Although phenylephrine abolished the spontaneous spike discharge, no change was detected in "Ca-uptake and "Ca-efflux on the tissue level after phenyl ephrine. Ca-uptake and Ca-release on the subcellular level were also not influenced by phenylephrine.In Ca free-solution phenylephrine inhibited the response to CaCl2. Phenylephrine increased 42K-efflux in the normally polarized taenia and also in the K-depolarized taenia.Adrenoceptors were classified as a and 3-receptors by Ahlquist (1). As a rule, a receptor is associated with the excitatory functions and 3-receptor with the inhibitory functions. Exceptionally, stimulation of a and (9-receptors in an intestinal smooth muscle causes a relaxation (2). But the inhibitory responses mediated through a and (3-receptors are independent as to mechanical effects and metabolic effects (3).It was reported that stimulation of Q-adrenoceptors elevates the intracellular levels of cyclic AMP and facilitates Ca-accumulation (4). However, little is known of the mechanisms involved in the responses mediated through a-adrenoceptors, except that an a-adrenoceptor stimulant increases K-permeability (5-7). We carried out studies on the effects of an a adrenoceptor stimulant on tissue levels of cyclic nucleotides, Ca-movement and K permeability.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Phenylephrinewas used as the a-adrenergic stimulant.Male guinea pigs (300-400 g)were sacrificed by a blow on the neck and two pieces of taenia were removed from one caecum and suspended in two 30 ml organ baths filled with physiological solution kept at 32'C and bubbled with air. One was used for measuring the control levels of cyclic nucleotides and the other for estimating the change in levels of cyclic nucleotides after one min treatment with phenylephrine in the presense of propranolol. They were frozen in liquid nitrogen.Cyclic AMP was assayed with the method of Gilman (8)