title: Electrically-evoked release of taurine in the rat vas deferens: evidence for a purinoceptor-mediated effect.
abstract: Release of taurine evoked by electrical stimulation (2700 pulses; 5 Hz; 10 mA unless stated otherwise) and its dependence on noradrenaline and ATP was studied in isolated, perifused rat vas deferens. Outflow of noradrenaline was also measured in some experiments. The basal outflow of taurine averaged 3.90 +/- 0.32 nmol/g tissue per min. Electrical stimulation increased the outflow to about 4 times basal values. The electrically-evoked overflow averaged 128.0 +/- 11.7 nmol/g. An increase in current strength to 40 mA increased the evoked overflow by about 50%. At either current strength, the evoked overflow of taurine (and noradrenaline) was abolished by tetrodotoxin. Ca(2+)-deprivation blocked the overflow of taurine elicited by 10 mA and increased the overflow elicited by 40 mA pulses (but abolished noradrenaline overflow under either condition). Neither prazosin nor pretreatment of the rats with reserpine reduced electrically-evoked overflow of taurine (although reserpine pretreatment abolished evoked noradrenaline overflow). Tyramine (100 mumols/l; 9 min) caused an overflow of taurine 36% of that caused by electrical stimulation (but an overflow of noradrenaline 3 times higher than that evoked by electrical stimulation). Exogenous noradrenaline (9 min) caused a concentration-dependent overflow of taurine with a maximal effect at 162 mumol/l, amounting to 33% of the electrically-evoked overflow. alpha,beta-Methylene ATP (19 mumols/l) elicited an overflow of taurine that faded despite continued exposure to the drug and amounted to 62% of the response to electrical stimulation. Thirty minutes after the start of application of alpha,beta-methylene ATP, electrically-evoked overflow of taurine was greatly reduced. Suramin (100 mumols/l) also reduced taurine overflow in response to electrical stimulation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Queiroz
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vale
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000502:physiology*; D011224:Prazosin / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011983:Receptors, Purinergic / Q000502:physiology*; D012110:Reserpine / Q000494:pharmacology; D013498:Suramin / Q000494:pharmacology; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology*; D013654:Taurine / Q000378:metabolism*; D014439:Tyramine / Q000494:pharmacology; D014649:Vas Deferens / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D011983:Receptors, Purinergic; D013654:Taurine; D013498:Suramin; D012110:Reserpine; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; C002630:alpha,beta-methyleneadenosine 5'-triphosphate; D009638:Norepinephrine; D014439:Tyramine; D011224:Prazosin