title: Endothelium-independent relaxation induced by histamine in human dorsal penile artery.
abstract: 1. In vitro preparations of human dorsal penile arteries were used to evaluate the effect of histamine and to characterize the histamine receptors involved in the response. 2. Cumulative administration of histamine induced a concentration-dependent relaxation in precontracted arteries. The H1 receptor agonist 2-pyridylethylamine induced a biphasic response: contraction followed by dilation. The H2 receptor agonist dimaprit produced a marked relaxation. Mepyramine, a histamine H1 receptor antagonist, led to a slight but statistically significant change in the pD2 value corresponding to the relaxant phase of the H1 receptor agonist and the histamine curve. The H2 receptor antagonist cimetidine induced a marked shift in the dimaprit concentration-response curve without affecting the maximum response. Incubation with cimetidine led to a considerable loss in the sensitivity of the arteries to histamine and in the maximum relaxation. Combined treatment with histamine H1 and H2 receptor antagonists resulted in an additional displacement compared with the effect of each antagonist alone on the histamine response. The effects observed using a histamine H3 receptor agonist and antagonist suggest that the involvement of this receptor is unlikely. 3. Removal of the endothelium was unable to reverse the histamine response. Pretreatment with NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester, L-arginine and indomethacin had no effect on the histamine control curve. 4. In conclusion, the vasodilation of human dorsal penile artery induced by histamine seems to be mainly mediated by muscular histamine H2 receptors, without the intervention of key intracellular mediators, such nitric oxide or relaxant prostanoids. A minor population of relaxant histamine H1 receptors cannot be excluded.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, San Carlos Hospital, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Prieto
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Raposo
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Delgado
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Resel
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: García-Sacristán
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Benedito
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001158:Arteries / Q000187:drug effects; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D006632:Histamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017442:Histamine Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D006634:Histamine H1 Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D006635:Histamine H2 Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007537:Isometric Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009126:Muscle Relaxation / Q000187:drug effects*; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000502:physiology*; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000494:pharmacology; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000502:physiology; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; D010413:Penis / Q000098:blood supply*; D011453:Prostaglandins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D017442:Histamine Agonists; D006634:Histamine H1 Antagonists; D006635:Histamine H2 Antagonists; D011453:Prostaglandins; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D006632:Histamine; C496314:NOS3 protein, human; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester