Abstract
Here we have recorded the effects of metachlorophenylpiperazine (m-CPP) on intracavernous pressure (ICP) in anesthetized rats pretreated with various pharmacological agents in an attempt to determine the mechanism and relevance of the m-CPP induced ICP response to other models of erection. m-CPP elicited consistent and significantly greater increases in ICP (71.5±6.6 mmHg) compared with the mixed 5-HT2a/2c agonists trifluoromethylphenylpiperazine (3.4±1.3 mmHg) and quipazine (10.9±1.8 mmHg). Blockade of 5-HT2a receptors with ketanserin failed to unmask any stimulatory effect of quipazine (7.2±1.0 mmHg). m-CPP induced ICP responses (71±7.0 mmHg) were unaffected in the presence of mianserin (63±5 mmHg) and ketanserin (51±12 mmHg). Spiperone significantly reduced the m-CPP induced increase in ICP (8.0±1.0 mmHg). Naloxone, yohimbine and 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OHDPAT) failed to elicit increases in ICP on their own. All three drugs significantly reduced the latency to the first m-CPP induced ICP response compared to saline. Yohimbine increased the duration of m-CPP induced ICP responses whereas 8-OHDPAT increased the mean number of m-CPP induced ICP responses compared to saline. The effects of m-CPP on ICP in anesthetized rats may not be mediated by 5-HT2c receptors and appears to be similar to erection in copula, but not erection elicited by other drugs or penile sheath retraction.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 8 print issues and online access
$259.00 per year
only $32.38 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Millan MJ et al. 5-HT2c receptors mediate penile erections in rats: actions of novel and selective agonists and antagonists Eur J Pharmacol 1997 325: 9–12
Berendsen HH, Broekkamp CL . Drug-induced penile erections in rats: indications of serotonin1B receptor mediation Eur J Pharmacol 1987 135: 279–287
Berendsen HHG, Jenck F, Broekkamp CLE . Involvement of 5-HT1C receptors in drug-induced penile erections in rats Psychopharmacology 1990 101: 57–61
Bagdy G, Kalogeras KT, Szemeredi K . Effect of 5-HT1C and 5-HT2 receptor stimulation on excessive grooming, penile erection and plasma oxytocin concentrations Eur J Pharmacol 1992 229: 9–14
Steers WD, de Groat WC . Effects of m-chlorophenylpiperazine on penile and bladder function in rats Am J Physiol 1989 257: R1441–R1449
Hayes ES, Adaikan PG, Arulkumaran S . RSD992 enhances erection and copulation in rats and erection in primates Int J Impot Res 1996 8: 189
Hayes ES, Adaikan PG, Ng SC . The effects of 5-HT agonists on central, peripheral and local erectile pathways Int J Impot Res 1997 9: S34
Chan JY, Huang CL, Chan SH . Nitric oxide as a mediator of cocaine-induced penile erection in the rat Br J Pharmacol 1996 118: 155–161
Sironi G et al. Effects of intracavernous administration of selective antagonists of alpha(1)-adrenoceptor subtypes on erection in anesthetized rats and dogs J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2000 292: 974–981
Hoyer D et al. VII. International union of pharmacology classification of receptors for 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin) Pharmacol Rev 1994 46: 157–203
Middlemiss DN, Tricklebank MD . Centrally active 5-HT receptor agonists and antagonists Neurosci Biobehav Rev 1992 16: 75–82
Schreiber R et al. (1-(2,5-dimethoxy-4 iodophenyl)-2-aminopropane)-induced head-twitches in the rat are mediated by 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) 2A receptors: modulation by novel 5-HT2a/2C antagonists, D1 antagonists and 5-HT1A agonists J Pharmacol Exp Ther 1995 273: 101–112
Schoeffter P, Hoyer D . Interaction of arylpiperazines with 5-HT1A, 5-HT1B, 5-HT1C and 5-HT1D receptors: do discriminatory 5-HT1b ligands exist? Naunyn Schmiedbergs Arch Pharmacol 1989 339: 675–683
Bonhaus DW et al. The pharmacology and distribution of human 5-hydroxytryptamine2B (5-HT2B) receptor gene products: comparison with 5-HT2a and 5-HT2c receptors Br J Pharmacol 1995 115: 622–628
Newton RA, Phipps SL, Flanigan TP . Characterisation of human 5-hydroxytryptamine2A and 5-hydroxytryptamine2C receptors expressed in the human neuroblastoma cell line SH-SY5Y: comparative stimulation by hallucinogenic drugs J Neurochem 1996 67: 2521–2531
Wolf WA, Schutz LJ . The serotonin 5-HT2c receptor is a prominent serotonin receptor in basal ganglia: evidence from functional studies on serotonin-mediated phosphoinositide hydrolysis J Neurochem 1997 69: 1449–1458
Knowles ID, Ramage AG . Evidence that activation of central 5-HT(2B) receptors causes renal sympathoexcitation in anaesthetized rats Br J Pharmacol 2000 129: 177–183
Currie PJ, Saxena N, Tu AY . 5-HT(2A/2C) receptor antagonists in the paraventricular nucleus attenuate the action of DOI on NPY-stimulated eating Neuroreport 1999 10: 3033–3036
Valentin JP et al. Use of the pithed rat model to determine the relative potencies of 5-HT2A/2C receptor antagonists following acute intravenous and oral administration Methods Find Exp Clin Pharmacol 1995 17: 267–271
Bonhaus DW et al. RS-102221: a novel high affinity and selective, 5-HT2c receptor antagonist Neuropharmacology 1997 36: 621–629
Pupo AS . Functional effects of castration on alpha1-adrenoceptors in rat vas deferens Eur J Pharmacol 1998 351: 217–223
Amobi N et al. Functional characterization of alpha1-adrenoceptor subtypes in longitudinal and circular muscle of human vas deferens Eur J Pharmacol 1999 367: 291–298
Yoshio R et al. Affinity of serotonin receptor antagonists and agonists to recombinant and native alpha1-adrenoceptor subtypes Jpn J Pharmacol 2001 86: 189–195
Peterson CA et al. Erectile response to transurethral alprostadil, prazosin and alprostadil-prazosin combinations J Urol 1998 159: 1523–1527
Nakamura T et al. Tamsulosin: assessment of affinity of (3)H-P prazosin binding to two alpha-1-adrenoceptor subtypes in the canine aorta Pharmacology 1999 59: 234–238
Ferrari F, Baggio G . Potentiation of the aphrodisiac effect of N-n-propyl-norapomorphine by naloxone Eur J Pharmacol 1982 81: 321–326
Berendsen HH, Gower AJ . Opiate-androgen interactions in drug-induced yawning and penile erections in the rat Neuroendocrinology 1986 42: 185–190
Protais P et al. Post-synaptic 5-HT1A receptor involvement in yawning and penile erections induced by apomorphine, physostigmine and m-CPP in rats Psychopharmacology 1995 120: 376–383
Gower AJ, Berendsen HH, Broekkamp CL . Antagonism of drug-induced yawning and penile erections in rats Eur J Pharmacol 1986 122: 239–244
Clark JT, Smith ER . Clonidine suppresses copulatory behavior and erectile reflexes in male rats: lack of effect of naloxone pretreatment Neuroendocrinology 1990 51: 357–364
Sachs BD, Valcourt RJ, Flagg HC . Copulatory behavior and sexual reflexes of male rats treated with naloxone Pharmacol Biochem Behav 1981 14: 251–253
Smith ER et al. Alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonists and male sexual behavior: II. Erectile and ejaculatory reflexes Physiol Behav 1987 41: 15–19
Mathes CW et al. Effects of intrathecal and systemic administration of buspirone on genital reflexes and mating behavior in male rats Pharmacol Biochem Behav 1990 36: 63–68
Ahlenius S, Larsson K . Specific involvement of central 5-HT1A receptors in the mediation of male rat ejaculatory behavior Neurochem Res 1997 22: 1065–1070
Sachs BD, Liu YC . Maintenance of erection of penile glans, but not penile body, after transection of rat cavernous nerves J Urol 1991 146: 900–905
McIntosh TK, Vallano ML, Barfield RJ . Effects of morphine, beta-endorphin and naloxone on catecholamine levels and sexual behavior in the male rat Pharmacol Biochem Behav 1980 13: 435–441
Koskinen I et al. Yohimbine and naloxone: effects on male rat sexual behavior Physiol Behav 1991 50: 589–593
Sala M et al. Central effect of yohimbine on sexual behavior in the rat Physiol Behav 1990 47: 165–173
Larsson K, Ahlenius S . Brain and sexual behavior Ann NY Acad Sci 1999 877: 292–308
Schnur SL et al. A component analysis of the effects of DPAT on male rat sexual behavior Physiol Behav 1989 45: 897–901
Bigoni R et al. In vitro characterization of J-113397, a non-peptide nociceptin/orphanin FQ receptor antagonist Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol 2000 361: 565–568
Paiva MQ et al. A comparative study of postsynaptic alpha2-adrenoceptors of the dog mesenteric and rat femoral veins Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol 1999 360: 165–170
Acknowledgements
These studies were supported through a National University of Singapore post-graduate scholarship awarded to ES Hayes. LC Lau and B Srilatha are thanked for technical assistance and review of the manuscript.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hayes, E., Adaikan, P. Metachlorophenylpiperazine (m-CPP) induced intracavernous pressure responses in anaesthetized rats. Int J Impot Res 14, 287–294 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijir.3900888
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijir.3900888