Adrenergic mechanism in cold stored taenia caecum after rewarming.

After cold storage of guinea-pig taenia strips for 4 days at 2 degrees C, structures with specific catecholamine fluorescence were not observed. Upon incubation in Krebs Ringer medium (37 degrees C) the fluorescence in the cold stored tissue reappeared and the density of fluorescence was comparable to that of fresh preparations. The specific fluorescence was affected following reserpine or 6-hydroxydopamine treatment; however, the rewarming process restored fluorescence only in the reserpine-treated tissue. The cold storage treatment (4 and 7 days) also decreased the tissue noradrenaline and dopamine contents and dopamine-beta-hydroxylase activity and inhibited the [3H-noradrenaline release from the tissue, all of which were not restored by the incubation procedure. Moreover, in these cold stored taenia the inhibitory effect to nicotine and perivascular nerve stimulation were not manifested. Therefore, the reappearance of specific fluorescence in the cold stored taenia strips after rewarming does not assure functional recovery of adrenergic nerve activity.