Effect of serum albumin upon the response of the rat isolated superfused anococcygeus muscle to catecholamines and to nerve stimulation

The presence of bovine serum albumin in the superfusing medium reduced the response of the rat isolated anococcygeus muscle to catecholamines and to nerve stimulation. It is suggested that this is a consequence of the binding of catecholamines to serum albumin. When the binding was prevented, either by decreasing the pH or by the addition of a drug such as oxytetracycline, then the inhibitory effects of serum albumin were much reduced.