Multiple factors regulating the release of norepinephrine consequent to nerve stimulation

Abstract

Whereas extracellular calcium is absolutely required for neurotransmitter release consequent to stimulation of adrenergic and other neurons, a large number of substances are known to modify the amount of norepinephrine released per nerve impulse. In general, cyclic nucleotides, phosphodiesterase inhibitors, beta-adrenoceptor agonists, cholinergic nicotinic agonists, and angiotensin are able to enhance neurally mediated norepinephrine release, whereas alpha-adrenoreceptor agonists, cholinergic muscarinic agonists, prostaglandins of the E series, opiates, enkephalins, dopamine, and adenosine inhibit neurally mediated norepinephrine release. Although it has been proposed that cyclic AMP may enhance, and endogenous cyclic GMP may inhibit, neurotransmitter release, no consistent relationship between the effects of the several modulators of neurally mediated norepinephrine release and their effects on adenylate and guanylate cyclase is as yet apparent. The demonstration of whether such a relationship exists must await the development of techniques that will allow the measurement of cyclic nucleotide levels in the presynaptic adrenergic nerve terminal after exposure to the putative modulators of release and consequent to nerve stimulation.