title: Mechanisms of adaptive supersensitivity in vas deferens.
abstract: Adaptive supersensitivity is a phenomenon characteristic of excitable tissues and discloses as a compensatory adjustment of tissue's response to unrelated stimulatory endogenous and exogenous substances after chronic interruption of excitatory neurotransmission. The mechanisms underlying such higher postjunctional sensitivity have been postulated for a variety of cell types. In smooth muscles, especially the vas deferens with its rich sympathetic innervation, the mechanisms responsible for supersensitivity are partly understood and appear to be different from one species to another. The present review provides a general understanding of adaptive supersensitivity and emphasizes early and recent information about the putative mechanisms involved in this phenomenon in rodent vas deferens.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Farmacologia Bioquímica e Molecular, ICB, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Avenida Carlos Chagas Filho 373, J-17, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil. lquintas@farmaco.ufrj.br
authors.forename: Luis Eduardo M
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Quintas
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Noël
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000818:Animals; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D020013:Calcium Signaling; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006801:Humans; D007001:Hypogastric Plexus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D011941:Receptors, Adrenergic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D011976:Receptors, Muscarinic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013562:Sympathectomy; D017779:Sympathetic Fibers, Postganglionic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014649:Vas Deferens / Q000187:drug effects / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D015220:Calcium Channels; D011941:Receptors, Adrenergic; D011976:Receptors, Muscarinic; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase