title: Nitroglycerin-induced penile erection and yawning in male rats: mechanism of action in the brain.
abstract: The effect of the central administration of nitroglycerin, a potent organic nitrate vasodilator, on penile erection and yawning was studied in male rats. When given intracerebroventricularly (ICV), nitroglycerin (33-99 micrograms) induced the above responses dose-dependently. The minimal effective dose was 33 micrograms, which was active in 60% of the rats. Nitroglycerin (1.65-6.6 micrograms) induced penile erection and yawning also when injected in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus. Nitroglycerin responses were prevented by methylene blue (200-400 micrograms ICV), by d(CH2)5Tyr(Me)2-Orn8-vasotocin (0.5-1 micrograms ICV) but not hemoglobin (100-200 micrograms ICV). In contrast methylene blue (10-20 micrograms), d(CH2)5Tyr(Me)2-Orn8-vasotocin (0.05-0.1 microgram) and hemoglobin (10-20 micrograms) were ineffective when injected in the paraventricular nucleus. Systemic haloperidol (0.5-1 mg/kg IP) was also ineffective. The results suggest that nitroglycerin induces penile erection and yawning by activating brain oxytocinergic transmission through the formation of nitric oxide in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus.
authors.affiliation: Bernard B. Brodie Department of Neuroscience, Cagliari, Italy.
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Melis
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stancampiano
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Argiolas
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects*; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000494:pharmacology; D007267:Injections; D007276:Injections, Intraventricular; D008297:Male; D008751:Methylene Blue / Q000494:pharmacology; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D005996:Nitroglycerin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D010286:Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus; D010410:Penile Erection / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015000:Yawning / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D010121:Oxytocin; C042951:oxytocin,1-(beta-mercapto-(beta, beta-cyclopentamethylene)propionic acid)-Tyr(OMe)(2)-Orn(8)-; D005996:Nitroglycerin; D008751:Methylene Blue