¹Neuroscience Research, Global Pharmaceutical Research and Discovery, Department R4PM, GPRD, Bldg AP9A Rm 219 Abbott Laboratories, 100 Abbott Park Road, Abbott Park, IL 60064-6123, U.S.A.

Correspondence: Robert B. Moreland, E-mail: robert.moreland@abbott.com

Abstract

The physiology and pharmacology of the lower urinary tract has advanced based, in part, due to the in vitro assays that have facilitated this exploration. Such assays have led to the development of novel and selective molecules that have been used to characterize different receptor and enzyme systems in the larger context of in vivo pharmacology. These assays can be classified by sites of action of drugs into the following categories: receptors, effector enzymes and enzymes that terminate the responses. In this review, representative assays are presented based on our experience in male erectile dysfunction.