title: Are imidazoline receptors involved in sympathetic neurotransmission in rat vas deferens?
abstract: 1. An involvement of imidazoline receptors in the modulation of neurotransmitter release was investigated in the prostatic portion of the rat vas deferens stimulated transmurally at 0.2 Hz or by single pulses. 2. Idaxozan and yohimbine induced a concentration-dependent potentiation of the contractile response to 0.2-Hz transmural stimulation in the epididymal and prostatic portion of the vas. 3. After reserpine treatment, idazoxan, but not yohimbine, still potentiated the contractile response, suggesting a possible involvement of imidazoline receptors. 4. Clonidine and rilmenidine, agonists with different affinities to alpha 2-adrenoceptors and imidazoline receptors, inhibited with the same potency the contractile responses to a single pulse transmural stimulation. 5. Yohimbine (a selective alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonist) antagonized the inhibitory concentration effect curve to rilmenidine in a competitive manner. pA2 values for idaxozan (an antagonist to alpha 2-adrenoceptors and imidazoline receptors) were not different when noradrenaline or rilmenidine were used as agonists. Phenoxybenzamine blocked the effect of both agonists. 6. Thus, the potency relationship of agonists, as well as the effect of the antagonists, did not favor the hypothesis that imidazoline receptors are involved in the idazoxan-potentiating effect in the rat vas deferens.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Farmacologia, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Avellar
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Markus
mesh_terms: D058647:Adrenergic alpha-2 Receptor Agonists; D058669:Adrenergic alpha-2 Receptor Antagonists; D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D019329:Idazoxan / Q000494:pharmacology; D054755:Imidazoline Receptors; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000187:drug effects / Q000294:innervation* / Q000502:physiology; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D010080:Oxazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D018341:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-2 / Q000187:drug effects; D011955:Receptors, Drug / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000502:physiology*; D000077769:Rilmenidine; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D014649:Vas Deferens / Q000187:drug effects / Q000294:innervation* / Q000502:physiology; D015016:Yohimbine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D058647:Adrenergic alpha-2 Receptor Agonists; D058669:Adrenergic alpha-2 Receptor Antagonists; D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists; D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists; D054755:Imidazoline Receptors; D010080:Oxazoles; D018341:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-2; D011955:Receptors, Drug; D015016:Yohimbine; D000077769:Rilmenidine; D009638:Norepinephrine; D019329:Idazoxan