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Erection and NO override the vasoconstrictive effect of α-adrenergic stimulation in the rat penile vasculature

International Journal of Impotence Research volume 13, pages 212–220 (2001)Cite this article

Abstract

Studies in this laboratory are designed to determine the effects of vasoconstrictor agents on the erectile response in rats. We have previously demonstrated that the vasoconstrictor effect of endothelin-1 (ET-1) is sharply reduced by erection and by nitric oxide (NO) administration. The present study was performed to determine if vasoconstriction, resulting from α-adrenergic stimulation, is altered by erection and NO. During continuous monitoring of corpus cavernosum pressure (CCP) and mean arterial pressure (MAP), erection was induced by electrical stimulation of the autonomic ganglion for the innervation of the penis. When the α-adrenergic agonist methoxamine (METH, 10 μg/kg) was injected before erection (ie, into the non-erect penis), the subsequent erectile response (CCP/MAP) was significantly reduced from 0.68±0.03 before METH to 0.34±0.08 after METH. Injection of METH into the erect penis (ie, during erection) reduced the vasoconstrictor action of METH; CCP/MAP was 0.74±0.02 before METH and 0.55±0.05 after METH (P<0.05). The vasoconstrictor action of METH was slightly reduced when given in conjunction with NOR-1, a NO donor drug; CCP/MAP was 0.70±0.05 before METH, 0.55±0.09 after METH but this change was not significant. These results demonstrate that the response to α-adrenergic stimulation is attenuated during erection in response to ganglionic stimulation. Furthermore, it appears that NO, produced during erection, may serve to override agonist-induced vasoconstriction. These results support our hypothesis that NO acts to directly stimulate relaxation of cavernous smooth muscle and to inhibit the vasoconstrictor actions of agents like ET-1 and α-adrenergic agonists including norepinephrine.

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Acknowledgements

We wish to thank Ms Vivian Stopper and Heather Branam for their technical assistance. This work was supported by grants from the Southeast Region American Heart Association (GIA 9960075 V) and the American Health Assistance Foundation National Heart Foundation (H 2000011) to CJ Wingard.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia, USA

    CJ Wingard & TM Mills

  2. The Vascular Biology Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia, USA

    CJ Wingard & TM Mills

  3. Department of Surgery (Urology), Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia, USA

    R Lewis & TM Mills

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  1. CJ Wingard
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  2. R Lewis
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  3. TM Mills
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Correspondence to CJ Wingard.

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Wingard, C., Lewis, R. & Mills, T. Erection and NO override the vasoconstrictive effect of α-adrenergic stimulation in the rat penile vasculature. Int J Impot Res 13, 212–220 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijir.3900688

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