Imidazoline2 (I2) receptor- and α2-adrenoceptor-mediated modulation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity in control and acute restraint stressed rats

Central noradrenaline regulates the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the neuroendocrine response to stress. (alpha(2)(-) adrenoceptors and imidazoline(2) (I-2) receptors modulate the activity of the central noradrenergic system. The present set of experiments investigated the role of alpha(2)-adrenoceptors and I-2 receptors in the regulation of HPA axis activity under basal conditions and during exposure to the acute psychological stress of restraint. Three separate experiments were carried out in which rats were given an i.p. injection of either saline vehicle, the combined alpha(2)-adrenoceptor antagonist and I-2 receptor ligand idazoxan (10 mg/kg), the selective I-2 receptor Ligand BU224 (2.5 or 10 mg/kg) or the selective (alpha(2)-adrenoceptor antagonist RX821002 (2.5 mg/kg) with or without restraint stress. Drugs were administered immediately prior to restraint of 60 min duration. Blood was sampled pre-injection, 30, 60 and 240 min post-injection and plasma corticosterone was measured by radioimmunoassay. In experiment 1, idazoxan increased plasma corticosterone levels in naive animals and potentiated the corticosterone response to acute restraint stress. In experiment 2, BU224 administration increased plasma corticosterone Levels in a dose-related manner in naive rats. The results of experiment 3 indicated that RX821002 also elevated plasma corticosterone Levels in naive rats, however, only BU224 potentiated the corticosterone response to restraint stress. These studies suggest that both alpha(2)-adrenoceptors and I-2 receptors play a rote in modulating basal HPA axis activity and that I-2 receptors may play a more important role than alpha(2)-adrenoceptors in modulating the HPA axis response to the acute psychological stress of restraint.