RESUMO
We aimed to investigate the effects of epoxygenases on electrical field stimulation (EFS)-mediated nitric oxide (NO)-dependent and NO-independent nonadrenergic noncholinergic (NANC) relaxations in isolated rabbit corpus cavernosum. The tissues of 20 male adult albino rabbits (2.5-3 kg) were suspended in organ baths containing aerated Krebs solution, and isometric contractions were recorded. EFS-mediated NANC relaxations were obtained on phenylephrin (3 × 10-5 M)-contracted tissues in the presence of guanethidine (10-6 M) and atropine (10-6 M). Miconazole (10-9 -10-4 M), 17-octadecynoic acid (ODYA) (10-10 -10-5 M), 14,15-epoxyeicosatrienoic acid (EET) (10-11 -10-8 M), 11,12-EET (10-12 -3 × 10-8 M) and 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (HETE) (10-11 -3 × 10-8 M) were added cumulatively (n = 5-7 for each set of experiments). For NO-independent relaxations, Nω -nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME) (10-4 M) was added before a group of experiments. Depending on the concentration, miconazole, 17-ODYA, 14,15-EET, 11,12-EET, and 20-HETE significantly enhanced both NO-dependent and NO-independent EFS-mediated relaxations (p < 0.05). Epoxygenases showed similar effect on NO-dependent and NO-independent relaxant responses except 20-HETE which caused significantly more enhanced relaxation on NO-dependent responses (p < 0.05). No drug caused a significant relaxation response on tissues contracted with phenylephrine. Epoxygenases contribute to EFS-mediated NO-dependent and NO-independent NANC relaxations by presynaptic mechanisms, offering a new treatment alternative for erectile dysfunction which needs to be explored in further in vivo, molecular and clinical studies.
Assuntos
Sistema Enzimático do Citocromo P-450/metabolismo , Terapia por Estimulação Elétrica , Relaxamento Muscular/fisiologia , Ereção Peniana/fisiologia , Pênis/fisiologia , Animais , Arginina/análogos & derivados , Inibidores das Enzimas do Citocromo P-450/farmacologia , Disfunção Erétil/terapia , Humanos , Masculino , Relaxamento Muscular/efeitos dos fármacos , Óxido Nítrico/metabolismo , Pênis/efeitos dos fármacos , Fenilefrina/farmacologia , Terminações Pré-Sinápticas/efeitos dos fármacos , Terminações Pré-Sinápticas/metabolismo , CoelhosRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Dopamine is a crucial central neurotransmitter that plays a fundamental role in the autonomic and somatic components of penile reflexes in animals and humans. Similar to the erectile responses of dopamine, systemic administration of l-DOPA induces yawning and penile erection in some species. The possible effects of l-DOPA on nitric oxide (NO)-dependent and -independent non-adrenergic non-cholinergic (NANC) relaxation responses mediated by electrical field stimulation (EFS) and endothelium-dependent relaxation were investigated in this study. METHODS: Thirty-two adult albino male rabbits, in two- and four-week-treatment groups, were divided into three subgroups: control group (saline-injected) (n=4), 3mg/kg/day (low dose) l-DOPA-injected groups (n=6) and 12mg/kg/day (high dose) l-DOPA-injected groups (n=6). After the intraperitoneal injection treatments, the corpus cavernosum tissues were placed in organ bath chambers. The EFS-mediated responses, and the concentration-response curve to carbachol, sodium nitroprusside (SNP), sildenafil were assessed. RESULTS: The two-week treatment with high-dose l-DOPA decreased the NO-dependent NANC relaxation responses, while there was no change in the low-dose two- and four-week treatment groups. The NO-independent NANC relaxation responses in the two-week groups decreased, and the responses in the four-week groups were unchanged when compared to the controls. The relaxation responses to carbachol showed no differences among all groups except for the high-dose four-week l-DOPA group. The relaxation responses of SNP and sildenafil were increased in all of the treatment groups when compared to the controls. CONCLUSIONS: The observed increases in SNP- and sildenafil-induced responses, along with the decreased EFS-mediated responses, suggest increased sensitivity in the NO-signalling pathway following l-DOPA administration.