Relaxant effects of sildenafil on the human isolated bladder neck.

Objective: To evaluate potential in vitro relaxant actions of sildenafil on human isolated bladder neck smooth muscle.

Methods: Bladder neck strips were sampled from patients (aged 55-77 years) submitted to prostatic surgery (6 adenomectomies and 1 radical prostatectomy). These were carefully dissected into 1-2 x 0.

Inhibitory effect of sildenafil on the human isolated seminal vesicle.

Objective: To investigate the effects of sildenafil on noradrenaline- and potassium-induced contractions of isolated human seminal vesicles (SVs), as premature ejaculation is a relatively common male sexual dysfunction that currently lacks an adequate therapy, and recent in vitro tests showed that sildenafil induces relaxation of rodent isolated SVs, but it is not known whether it also inhibits isolated human SV.

Material And Methods: Isolated strips of human SVs were suspended in an organ bath and cumulative concentration-response curves to either noradrenaline or KCl were constructed in the presence and absence of sildenafil to evaluate its inhibitory actions.

Results: Sildenafil (25-100 microm) induced concentration-dependent inhibitory effects on the human SV contracted by either noradrenaline or KCl.

Mechanism of the endothelium-dependent vasodilation and the antihypertensive effect of Brazilian red wine.

The mechanisms involved in the cardioprotector effect of red wine have not yet been completely elucidated but probably an endothelium-dependent vasodilator action may play a significant role in this effect. Experiments were undertaken to determine whether a Brazilian red wine (BRW) induces vasodilation in the mesenteric vascular bed (MVB) and an antihypertensive effect was also assessed in rats with NO-deficient hypertension. In MVB precontracted with norepinephrine, BRW (alcohol-free lyophilized) induces a long-lasting endothelium-dependent vasodilation that is not reduced by indomethacin.

Role of the NO-cGMP pathway in the systemic antinociceptive effect of clonidine in rats and mice.

The mechanism underlying the analgesic effect of clonidine, an alpha(2)-adrenoceptor agonist, remains uncertain. Activation of alpha(2)-adrenoceptor induces the release of nitric oxide (NO) from endothelial cells, which has led us to test the hypothesis that the observed antinociceptive effect induced by the systemic administration of clonidine depends on the NO-cGMP pathway. The possible involvement of an opioid link in the antinociceptive effect of clonidine was also evaluated.