Time-dependent reduction of acetylcholine-induced relaxation in corpus cavernosum of cholestatic rats: role of nitric oxide and cyclooxygenase pathway.
The endothelium-dependent relaxation of corpus cavernosum smooth muscle and the roles of nitric oxide (NO) and arachidonic acid products of cyclooxygenase were investigated in non-operated, SHAM-operated, and bile duct-ligated rats. We further investigated the time-dependent alterations of corpus cavernosum relaxation in 2-, 7-, and 14-day bile duct-ligated animals. Acetylcholine produced concentration-dependent relaxation in phenylephrine-precontracted strips of corpus cavernosum. A significant reduction in the acetylcholine-induced relaxation was observed 2 days after bile duct ligation, and a greater reduction was observed on subsequent days. Incubation with 20 microM indomethacin reduced the acetylcholine-induced relaxation of the corpus cavernosum of unoperated rats while it had no effect in the corpus cavernosum of bile duct-ligated rats. Chronic treatment with Nomega-Nitro-L-Arginine Methyl Ester (L-NAME, 3 mg/kg/day, intraperitoneally) reduced the relaxation responses in the unoperated group while it had no effect in the bile duct-ligated group. These results show that acetylcholine-induced corporal relaxation is impaired in cholestatic rats, and this may be related to deficient nitric oxide production by the endothelium. The involvement of prostaglandins in this impairment seems unlikely.
Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, PO Box 13145-784, Tehran, Iran.
Mehdi
M
Dehghani
Hamed
H
Sadeghipour
Hamed
H
Shafaroodi
Hooman
H
Honar
Kiarash
K
Riazi
Mohammad Reza
MR
Ebrahimkhani
Amir Reza
AR
Hajrasouliha
Sina
S
Tavakoli
Ahmad Reza
AR
Dehpour
D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D002779:Cholestasis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology*; D010413:Penis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013997:Time Factors; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
D009569:Nitric Oxide; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases; D000109:Acetylcholine; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester