Role of copper in the relaxant action of S-nitrosothiols in the rat anococcygeus muscle.

1. The effects of copper chelators were investigated on the relaxant actions of the S-nitrosothiols S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) and S-nitroso-N-acetyl-d,l-penicillamine (SNAP), the non-S-nitrosothiol nitric oxide (NO) donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP), free radical NO (NO.) and the nitrergic neurotransmitter in rat isolated anococcygeus muscle.

Effects of P2-receptor agonists on sympathetic neuroeffector transmission in the rat isolated anococcygeus muscle.

The effects of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH), alpha,beta-methylene adenosine 5'-triphosphate (alpha,beta-MeATP), L-beta,gamma-methylene adenosine 5'-triphosphate (L-beta,gamma-MeATP), 2-methylthio-adenosine 5'-triphosphate (MeSATP) and adenosine-5-O-(2'-thiodiphosphate) (ADPbetaS) were investigated on the contractions to electrical field stimulation in the rat anococcygeus muscle. Stimulation-induced contractions were not affected by L-beta,gamma-MeATP (3-100 microM) or MeSATP (3-100 microM), but were enhanced by NADPH (10-100 microM), alpha,beta-MeATP (3-30 microM) and ADPbetaS (3-10 microM) in a concentration-dependent manner, and the enhancements were antagonised by the P2-receptor antagonist suramin (100 microM). The enhancement produced by alpha,beta-MeATP (10 microM) and ADPbetaS (10 microM) was also antagonised by pyridoxal-phosphate-6-azophenyl-2',4'-disulphonic acid (10 microM) and reactive blue 2 (100 microM).

Characterisation of excitatory and inhibitory transmitter systems in prostate glands of rats, guinea pigs, rabbits and pigs.

Excitatory and inhibitory transmitter systems were investigated in strips of prostate glands from rats, guinea pigs, pigs and rabbits. In strips from all species, electrical field stimulation (1 ms pulses at 1-30 Hz for 10 s) produced frequency-dependent contractions which were abolished by tetrodotoxin (1 microM). In strips from rats, guinea pigs and rabbits, contractions were reduced by prazosin (1 microM), guanethidine (10 microM) and atropine (2 microM), indicating the presence of noradrenergic and cholinergic mechanisms.