Effects of hypophysectomy on purinergic and noradrenergic contractility of the rat vas deferens

Journal of Autonomic Pharmacology
V Ralevic, G Burnstock

Abstract

1. The effects of removal of the pituitary on vas deferens contractile function were examined in young adult male rats having undergone hypophysectomy 7 days previously. Sham-operated age-matched rats served as controls. Responses to electrical field stimulation (EFS), and exogenous noradrenaline (NA) and beta, gamma-methylene ATP (beta, gamma-meATP) were tested. 2. Hypophysectomized rats lost weight over the 7 days. Body weights were 267.2 +/- 3.9 g (n = 7) in controls and 195.3 +/- 1.56 g (n = 5) with hypophysectomy. The wet weight of the vas deferens from rats with hypophysectomy, 22.8 +/- 1.8 mg (n = 5) was approximately half that of the controls, 41.3 +/- 1.2 mg (n = 7). The contractile response to KCl was smaller in hypophysectomized preparations (0.97 +/- 0.9 g, n = 5) than in controls (2.91 +/- 0.2 g, n = 7). 3. The alpha 1-adrenoceptor antagonist prazosin (1 microM) was more effective as an inhibitor of the tonic than of the twitch component of the contractile response, indicating a dominant adrenergic component. However, alpha, beta-methylene ATP was also effective at inhibiting the tonic component, indicating that ATP is also released secondarily to NA. 4. Absolute contractions to EFS of vas deferens from hypophysect...Continue Reading

References

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