Summary
While the sensitivity of perfused rabbit ear arteries to intraluminal L- and D-noradrenaline and histamine fell markedly between 37 and 3°C, their sensitivity to extraluminal L-noradrenaline was similar at these 2 temperatures. This maintenance of response is attributed to cold blockade of uptake by nerve terminals around the media of the artery, so that a much higher proportion of the extraluminal noradrenaline reaches the smooth muscle cells, thereby compensating for a fall in sensitivity of the cells.
This conclusion is supported by finding that responses to extraluminal D-nor-adrenaline are not maintained at 3°C but are greatly depressed (the dextro isomer is taken up much less avidly by nerve terminals than is the laevo isomer).
Evidence is presented that neither smooth muscle cells nor nerve terminals distinguish between L-noradrenaline and L-adrenaline. Histamine does not appear to be taken up by the nerve terminals.
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Patton, J.N., Wallace, W.F.M. Responses of isolated rabbit ear arteries to intra- and extraluminal L- and D-noradrenaline, L-adrenaline and histamine in the temperature range 37–3°C. I.J.M.S. 147, 313–317 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02939425
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02939425