Contractile properties of urethral smooth muscles of young and aged female dogs: morphological and pharmacological aspects.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Alpha1-adrenoceptors are highly concentrated in the urethral smooth muscles and may play an important role in the contraction of this area. However, detailed examinations of age-related changes of the properties of urethral smooth muscle have rarely been undertaken. METHODS: The contractile properties of urethras from young non-parous and old parous female beagles were determined with a urethral function study, macroscopic autoradiography for urethras using [3H]-labeled tamsulosin and morphometry of the urethral muscles. RESULTS: The antagonistic effect (pA2) of prazosin for norepinephrine was 7.76+/-0.13 in young dogs and 7.62+/-0.06 in aged dogs. The specific binding of [3H]-tamsulosin (a relatively selective alpha1A-adrenoceptor antagonist) was recognized diffusely in proximal urethras with in vitro autoradiography. The density of binding in smooth muscles was approximately 60 and 40% in circular longitudinal layers, respectively, for both dogs. CONCLUSIONS: The female canine urethra had alpha1A, and alpha1L-adrenoceptors. No age-related changes were seen in the function of the proximal urethra, distribution of alpha1-adrenoceptor binding sites and smooth muscle densities.