Abstract

Desensitization of smooth muscle contraction was studied in aortic ring segments obtained from New England Deaconness Hospital rats harboring pheochromocytomas, a norepinephrine-secreting tumor. Rats were studied 5 to 6 weeks after implantation of the pheochromocytoma, by which time severe hypertension had developed. Aortic ring segments from the pheochromocytoma rats were significantly less sensitive to the alpha-1 adrenergic agonist phenylephrine [log10 (ED50) = -7.21 +/- 0.09 vs. -7.63 +/- 0.11 in controls). In addition, the maximal force of contraction induced by phenylephrine was decreased in the aortas from pheochromocytoma rats (1.31 +/- 0.15 g) compared to controls (2.17 +/- 0.23 g). The potency of the thromboxane A2 receptor agonist U-46,619 was decreased in the aortic ring segments from pheochromocytoma rats compared to controls, although it elicited a similar maximal force of contraction. Desensitization of alpha receptor-mediated contraction was prevented by treating the pheochromocytoma-bearing rats with the reversible alpha adrenergic antagonist phentolamine (200 micrograms/kg/hr) via osmotic minipumps for 2 weeks. However, phentolamine did not decrease the hypertension in these rats. Also, large doses of the irreversible alpha adrenergic antagonist phenoxybenzamine (4 mg/kg/day i.p.) did not decrease blood pressure in rats harboring pheochromocytoma or did the drug completely block aortic alpha receptors in these rats as it did in controls. The results indicate that pheochromocytoma induces heterologous desensitization of smooth muscle contraction in rat aorta. The desensitization is due to direct effects of catecholamines unrelated to hypertension. The New England Deaconess Hospital rat harboring pheochromocytoma is an interesting model to study the effects of high concentrations of plasma catecholamines on smooth muscle contraction.