Noradrenaline and ATP: cotransmitters and neuromodulators

Adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) is a cotransmitter with noradrenaline (NA) in sympathetic nerves supplying the vas deferens and a number of blood vessels. ATP is responsible for the excitatory junctional potentials (EJPs) in response to single nerve impulses and the initial twitch responses of the smooth muscle, while NA produces the longer-lasting tonic contractions. The proportions of ATP to NA vary between different sympathetic nerves; they also change during development and in some pathological conditions, including hypertension. Prejunctional neuromodulation of release of the two cotransmitters appears to involve independent mechanisms and is frequency dependent; this raises the question of whether ATP and NA are stored in separate vesicles or whether there are subpopulations of sympathetic nerves with a predominance of ATP or NA. ATP and NA have synergistic postjunctional actions, whether excitatory (as in the vas deferens and most blood vessels) or inhibitory (as in rabbit coronary vessels). It is suggested that use of the term 'adrenergic nerves' as a synonym for sympathetic nerves is no longer appropriate, although 'adrenergic transmission' or 'purinergic transmission' are still useful terms.