IONIC REQUIREMENTS FOR CATECHOLAMINE AGGREGATING ACTIONS ON THE TELEOST POECILIA-RETICULATA MELANOPHORES

Norepinephrine (NE) and phenylephrine (Phe) were employed to study the ionic requirements for alpha adrenoceptor activation in the teleost Poecilia reticulata melanophores. As expected the beta adrenoceptor blocker, propranolol, increased the sensitivity of the preparation to NE (5.8 times), and was therefore employed in all the experimental procedures. Neither cocaine (a neuronal uptake blocker) nor dexamethasone (an extraneuronal uptake blocker) enhanced the sensitivity of the preparation to NE, suggesting that these inactivating mechanisms would not play a role in P. reticulata pigmentary system. However, in the absence of calcium, the dose‐response curve (DRC) to NE was displaced to the left about 3.5 times, whereas the DRC to Phe was not affected. These results indicate that a neuronal uptake is active, but was not demonstrated by the classical pharmacological tools, probably due to an assymmetric display of the nervous endings. The DRC to NE was rightward displaced (14.1 times) in the presence of the calcium channel blocker Verapamil, whereas the DRC to Phe was not affected. These data suggest that P. reticulata melanophores possess a mixed population of alpha1 and alpha2 adrenoceptors, the activation of the latter eliciting an extracellular calcium influx. In sodium‐free saline, the DRC to NE was rightward shifted (6.6 times) and the response to Phe was impaired in such a way that the maximal response was not achieved. The DRC to both NE and Phe were rightward displaced (7.9 and 2.7 times respectively) in the presence of the sodium channel blocker tetrodotoxin (TTX) 10−7M. In potassium‐free saline, the melanophore sensitivity to Phe was increased, whereas the responses to NE were not affected, suggesting a differential sensitivity of the two alpha adrenoceptor subtypes to the resulting membrane hyperpolarization. Based on the literature and on our data we propose that P. reticulata melanophores possess a mixed population of alpha1 and alpha2 receptors. The activation of both subtypes of alpha adrenoceptors elicits a Na+ ion influx through TTX‐sensitive sodium channels. The stimulation of alpha2 adrenoceptors also requires an extracellular calcium influx, through the opening of slow calcium channels. Copyright © 1990, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved