A comparison of the effects of nifedipine and verapamil on rat vas deferens.
Nifedipine preferentially blocks contractions of the prostatic end of the rat vas deferens to single pulse field stimulation, leaving the epididymal end largely unaffected. This action is not due entirely to antagonism of calcium influx. Verapamil unexpectedly potentiated the responses of the prostatic portion, and antagonized those of the epididymal end. The use of nifedipine may, therefore, allow investigations of adrenergic mechanisms on this tissue to be studied without the complications of non-adrenergic transmission.
D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000502:physiology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects*; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000187:drug effects*; D009543:Nifedipine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011725:Pyridines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D014649:Vas Deferens / Q000187:drug effects; D014700:Verapamil / Q000494:pharmacology*
D011725:Pyridines; D014700:Verapamil; D009543:Nifedipine; D002118:Calcium