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Immunohistochemical and functional evidence for a noradrenergic regulation in the horse penile deep dorsal vein

International Journal of Impotence Research volume 16, pages 486–491 (2004)Cite this article

Abstract

Our aim was to study the presence of noradrenergic nerves and to characterize the α-adrenergic receptors involved in the contractions to electrical field stimulation and to α-adrenergic agonists of the horse penile deep dorsal vein. Noradrenergic fibres were visualized by immunohistochemistry using an antibody against dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (DBH). For functional studies, the responses of the venous rings to electrical field stimulation and to α-adrenergic agonists (noradrenaline, phenylephrine and BHT 920) were studied in the absence and the presence of noradrenergic transmission- and neuronal sodium channel-blockers (guanethidine and tetrodotoxin, respectively) and of α1- and α2-adrenergic antagonists (prazosin and rauwolscine, respectively). DBH-immunoreactive fibres were present in the adventitia and in the media layer of the venous rings. Electrical field stimulation (0.5–32 Hz) caused frequency-dependent contractions that were abolished by guanethidine (10−6 M) and tetrodotoxin (10−6 M) and reduced by prazosin (10−9–10−7 M) and rauwolscine (3 × 10−8–3 × 10−7 M). Noradrenaline, phenylephrine and BHT 920 induced equipotent contractions of the rings. Prazosin and rauwolscine competitively antagonized the contractions to phenylephrine and BHT 920, respectively. In conclusion, DBH-immunoreactive nerve fibres are present in the horse penile dorsal vein. Both transmural nerve stimulation and α-adrenergic agonists induce contraction of the venous rings through a heterogeneous population of α1- and α2-adrenoceptors.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Mr Manuel Perales and Mr Francisco Puente for their technical assistance. We also thank local slaughterhouse (Guadalajara) for kindly donating the horse penis. This work was supported by Grant PM98-0088 of the Spanish Ministry of Education.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    P Recio, D Prieto, P García, L Rivera, S Benedito, A C Martínez, A G Sacristán & M Hernández

  2. Departamento de Anatomía y Anatomía Patológica, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    M P Martínez

  3. Departamento de Investigación, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain

    L M Orensanz

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  1. P Recio
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Correspondence to P Recio.

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Recio, P., Prieto, D., Martínez, M. et al. Immunohistochemical and functional evidence for a noradrenergic regulation in the horse penile deep dorsal vein. Int J Impot Res 16, 486–491 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijir.3901228

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