Epinephrine Sensitivity of Blood Vessel Strips from Salt-Fed and Castrated Rats.

Abstract

The sensitivity of rat aortic strips to epinephrine was tested in vitro using heart levers. Strips from rats fed 2% NaCl diet and 0.9% NaCl drinking water were about 2 times more sensitive than controls. Male vessels were more sensitive than female. Castration of females increased the epinephrine sensitivity of the aortae, but male aortae were only slightly sensitized by castration. The salt diet increased the epinephrine sensitivity of aortae from castrated females to the level of males.