title: Enhancement of apomorphine-induced penile erection in the rat by a selective alpha(1D)-adrenoceptor antagonist.
abstract: 1. Effects of A-322312 (alpha(1B)-adrenoceptor (AR) antagonist), A-119637 (alpha(1D)-AR antagonist), prazosin (non-selective alpha(1)-AR antagonist), and yohimbine (alpha(2)-AR antagonist) were studied in rat corpus cavernosum (CC) and cavernous artery (Acc) preparations. Effects of intracavernous (i.c.) or intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of alpha(1)-AR antagonists on apomorphine-induced erections were investigated. 2. A-119637 attenuated electrically induced contractions in isolated CC (-logIC(50); 8.12+/-0.15), and relaxed noradrenaline (NA)-contracted preparations by more than 90% at 10(-7) M. At the same concentration, the -logEC(50) value for NA in Acc was altered from 6.79+/-0.07 to 4.86+/-0.13. In the CC and Acc, prazosin similarly inhibited contractile responses. 3. Inhibitory effects of A-322312 (10(-7) M) in electrically activated CC were 32.3+/-5.1%, whereas no effect on concentration-response curves for NA was observed in the Acc. Yohimbine (10(-8) M and 10(-7) M), enhanced electrically-induced contractions in isolated CC by 20 to 50%. At 10(-6) M, inhibitory effects of yohimbine were obtained. 4. A-119637 (0.3 micromol kg(-1), i.p.) tripled the number of erections, and produced a 6 fold increase in the duration of apomorphine-induced erectile responses. A-322312, prazosin, or yohimbine did not enhance erections induced by apomorphine. None of the alpha(1)-AR antagonists significantly increased ICP upon i.c. administration. Decreases in blood pressure were seen with A-119637 and prazosin. 5. The present findings show that there is a functional predominance of the alpha(1D)-AR subtype in the rat erectile tissue, and that blockade of this receptor facilitates rat penile erection induced by a suboptimal dose of apomorphine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pharmacology, University of Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: Hiroya
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mizusawa
authors.forename: Petter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hedlund
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sjunnesson
authors.forename: Jorge D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Brioni
authors.forename: James P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Sullivan
authors.forename: Karl-Erik
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Andersson
mesh_terms: D058668:Adrenergic alpha-1 Receptor Antagonists; D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001058:Apomorphine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004357:Drug Synergism; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D010410:Penile Erection / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D018340:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-1 / Q000502:physiology; D014661:Vasoconstriction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D058668:Adrenergic alpha-1 Receptor Antagonists; D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists; D018340:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-1; D001058:Apomorphine