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Human and rabbit cavernosal smooth muscle cells express Rho-kinase

International Journal of Impotence Research volume 14, pages 1–7 (2002)Cite this article

Abstract

Rho-kinase is an enzyme involved in the Ca2+-sensitizing pathway in smooth muscle cells. Inhibition of this enzyme has been recently demonstrated to elicit penile erection by relaxing cavernosal smooth muscle. We aimed to investigate the presence and activity of Rho-kinase in human cavernosal smooth muscle. Primary culture of smooth muscle cells from human and rabbit penile corpus cavernosum was developed, and cells showed characteristic myocyte morphology and α-actin immunoreactivity. The presence of Rho-kinase was demonstrated by indirect immunofluorescence and Western blotting. A specific inhibitor of Rho-kinase, Y-27632, inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner the kinase activity of the protein immunoprecipitated with anti-Rho-kinase antibody. These results demonstrate for the first time expression and activity of Rho-kinase in human penile cavernosal smooth muscle cells and suggest that these cells can provide a cellular model for the study of enzymes involved in Ca2+-sensitizing pathways.

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Acknowledgements

RW Rees is supported by St. Peter's Andrology Research Fund. T Ziessen is a Pfizer PhD student. S Cellek is a fellow of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International. The authors thank Annie Higgs for the help in preparation of the manuscript and David Goodwin and Neale Foxwell for the technical advice. Y-27632 was provided by Welfide Corporation, Osaka, Japan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research, University College London, Gower Street, London, UK

    R W Rees, T Ziessen, S Moncada & S Cellek

  2. Institute of Urology and Nephrology, 48 Riding House Street, London, UK

    R W Rees, D J Ralph & P Kell

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  1. R W Rees
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  2. T Ziessen
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  3. D J Ralph
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  4. P Kell
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  5. S Moncada
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Correspondence to S Cellek.

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Rees, R., Ziessen, T., Ralph, D. et al. Human and rabbit cavernosal smooth muscle cells express Rho-kinase. Int J Impot Res 14, 1–7 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijir.3900814

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