title: An inhibition of post-ganglionic motor transmission in the mammalian vas deferens by D-lysergic acid diethylamide.
abstract: 1. Under certain conditions D-lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), 10(-9)-10(-6) g/ml., exerted an immediate, prolonged and slowly reversible inhibitory effect upon the post-ganglionic motor transmission in desheathed guinea-pig vas deferens preparations.2. The most critical factor influencing this action of LSD appeared to be the train length. With short trains of less than 4 or 5 pulses the twitch inhibition produced by LSD was often total. With longer trains (5-20 pulses), the degree of inhibition declined with increase in train length. These results suggest the existence of two components in the motor response to post-ganglionic stimulation, distinguished by their susceptibility to LSD.3. The inhibition of the LSD-susceptible component was related to the dose of LSD in the range 10(-9)-10(-6) g/ml., reaching a maximum at 0.5-1 x 10(-6) g/ml. The response remnants elicited by trains of more than 5 pulses under these conditions could not be reduced further by a ten- to twenty-fold increase in LSD concentration to 10(-5) g/ml. and were in fact slightly potentiated.4. The inhibition of post-ganglionic motor transmission by LSD was not explicable on the basis of an alpha-adrenoceptor blockade because it was not associated with any reduction in motor responses to noradrenaline.5. The use of propranolol excluded mediation of the LSD-inhibition by beta-adrenoceptors.6. The LSD effect was not due to a non-specific smooth muscle depression because it was not associated with any reduction in motor responses to acetylcholine, ATP or bradykinin.7. The inhibitory effect of LSD on post-ganglionic transmission resembled that of noradrenaline in that it was antagonized by phentolamine; another alpha-adrenoceptor blocking agent, phenoxybenzamine, was less effective than phentolamine in this respect.8. The LSD-inhibition was obtained in preparations taken from reserpinized guinea-pigs.9. The inhibition of motor transmission in the vas deferens by LSD was confirmed in rats, Meriones shawii and rabbits.10. The inhibition of post-ganglionic transmission by LSD was unrelated to its ability to antagonize 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), to which the longitudinal muscle of the guinea-pig vas deferens is insensitive. The more potent 5-HT antagonists, methysergide and BOL 148 were either virtually inactive or considerably weaker than LSD.
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001338:Autonomic Fibers, Postganglionic / Q000187:drug effects; D001920:Bradykinin / Q000494:pharmacology; D004357:Drug Synergism; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004874:Ergonovine / Q000494:pharmacology; D004878:Ergotamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007545:Isoproterenol / Q000494:pharmacology; D008238:Lysergic Acid Diethylamide / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000187:drug effects*; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D010646:Phentolamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D011433:Propranolol / Q000494:pharmacology; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects*; D014649:Vas Deferens / Q000294:innervation*
chemical_list: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D008238:Lysergic Acid Diethylamide; D011433:Propranolol; D007545:Isoproterenol; D000109:Acetylcholine; D004878:Ergotamine; D001920:Bradykinin; D004874:Ergonovine; D009638:Norepinephrine; D010646:Phentolamine