scholarly journals Immunolocalization of Adrenoceptors in the Reproductive Tract of Male Domestic Cats in Comparison to Rats

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1049
Author(s):  
Sylwia Prochowska ◽  
Stanisław Dzimira ◽  
Alicja Tomaszek ◽  
Wojciech Niżański
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Smooth Muscle ◽  
Adrenergic Receptors ◽  
Reproductive Tract ◽  
Vas Deferens ◽  
Smooth Muscles ◽  
Domestic Cats ◽  
Leading Role ◽  
Semen Collection ◽  
Sympathetic Nervous

Adrenoceptors mediate the action of the sympathetic nervous system, including the contraction of the epididymis and vas deferens. The aim of this study was to immunolocalize the adrenergic receptors in the reproductive tract of the male cat, as this information is not yet available. The epididymis and vas deferens of domestic cats and rats (the biological controls) were analyzed by immunohistochemistry to determine the localization of the α1A-, α1B-, α1D-, α2A-, α2B-, α2C-, β1-, β2-, and β3-adrenoceptors. All the receptors were expressed in the peritubular smooth muscles of the cat, but the α1D-, α2C-, and β1-adrenoceptors were not detected in this tissue in the rat. For the α2A-adrenoceptor, the intensity of immunostaining differed significantly between the caput epididymis (weakest staining) and the vas deferens (strongest staining). The presence of all the types of the receptors was also detected in the cytoplasm of the epithelial cells in all the regions of the reproductive tract. The strong expression of the α2A-adrenoreceptor suggests it has a leading role in the contraction of the reproductive tract in the cat. The presence of other adrenergic receptors in the smooth muscle of the epididymis and vas deferens indicates a potential clinical application for α1-mimetics in the optimization of pharmacological semen collection in felids.

Inhibitory control of proximal colonic motility by the sympathetic nervous system

1987 ◽  
Vol 253 (4) ◽  
pp. G531-G539 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. Gillis ◽  
J. Dias Souza ◽  
K. A. Hicks ◽  
A. W. Mangel ◽  
F. D. Pagani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Sympathetic Nervous System ◽  
Nerve Stimulation ◽  
Adrenergic Receptors ◽  
Vagal Stimulation ◽  
Colonic Motility ◽  
Inhibitory Effect ◽  
Proximal Colon ◽  
Pelvic Nerve ◽  
Sympathetic Nervous

The purpose of this study is to determine whether or not the sympathetic nervous system provides a tonic inhibitory input to the colon in chloralose-anesthetized cats. Proximal and midcolonic motility were monitored using extraluminal force transducers. An intravenous bolus injection of 5 mg of phentolamine in 14 animals elicited a pronounced increase in proximal colon contractility. The minute motility index changed from 0 +/- 0 to 26 +/- 4 after phentolamine administration. Midcolonic motility also increased in response to phentolamine. Specific blockade of alpha 2-receptors, but not alpha 1-receptors, caused the same response seen with phentolamine. alpha-Adrenergic blockade increased colon contractility after spinal cord transection but not after ganglionic blockade. Blockade of alpha-adrenergic receptors was also performed before vagal and pelvic nerve stimulation and in both cases increased colonic motility. Vagal stimulation alone had no effect on colonic contractility, while pelvic nerve stimulation increased motility at the midcolon. alpha-Receptor blockade did not alter the ineffectiveness of vagal stimulation but did unmask excitatory effects of pelvic nerve stimulation on the proximal colon. All excitatory colonic responses were prevented by blocking muscarinic cholinergic receptors. These data indicate that tonic sympathetic nervous system activity exerts an inhibitory effect on colonic motility. The inhibitory effect is mediated through alpha 2-adrenergic receptors. Based on these findings, we suggest that alterations in sympathetic nervous system activity may be extremely important for the regulation of circular muscle contractions in the colon.

scholarly journals Electrophysiology of Syncytial Smooth Muscle

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 117906951882191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rohit Manchanda ◽  
Shailesh Appukuttan ◽  
Mithun Padmakumar
Keyword(s):  
Smooth Muscle ◽  
Action Potentials ◽  
Signal Analysis ◽  
Computational Models ◽  
Vas Deferens ◽  
Contractile Activity ◽  
Smooth Muscles ◽  
Biophysical Analysis ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
The Many

As in other excitable tissues, two classes of electrical signals are of fundamental importance to the functioning of smooth muscles: junction potentials, which arise from neurotransmission and represent the initiation of excitation (or in some instances inhibition) of the tissue, and spikes or action potentials, which represent the accomplishment of excitation and lead on to contractile activity. Unlike the case in skeletal muscle and in neurons, junction potentials and spikes in smooth muscle have been poorly understood in relation to the electrical properties of the tissue and in terms of their spatiotemporal spread within it. This owes principally to the experimental difficulties involved in making precise electrical recordings from smooth muscles and also to two inherent features of this class of muscle, ie, the syncytial organization of its cells and the distributed innervation they receive, which renders their biophysical analysis problematic. In this review, we outline the development of hypotheses and knowledge on junction potentials and spikes in syncytial smooth muscle, showing how our concepts have frequently undergone radical changes and how recent developments hold promise in unraveling some of the many puzzles that remain. We focus especially on computational models and signal analysis approaches. We take as illustrative examples the smooth muscles of two organs with distinct functional characteristics, the vas deferens and urinary bladder, while also touching on features of electrical functioning in the smooth muscles of other organs.

Effect of NO donors on protein phosphorylation in intact vascular and nonvascular smooth muscles

2001 ◽  
Vol 280 (4) ◽  
pp. H1565-H1580 ◽  
Author(s):  
James K. Hennan ◽  
Jack Diamond
Keyword(s):  
Smooth Muscle ◽  
Protein Kinase ◽  
Protein Phosphorylation ◽  
Vas Deferens ◽  
Smooth Muscles ◽  
Rat Aorta ◽  
Rat Vas Deferens ◽  
Two Dimensional Gel Electrophoresis ◽  
Relaxant Response ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms

It is generally well accepted that nitrovasodilator-induced relaxation of vascular smooth muscle involves elevation of cGMP and activation of a specific cGMP-dependent protein kinase [protein kinase G (PKG)]. However, the protein targets of PKG and the underlying mechanisms by which this kinase leads to a relaxant response have not been elucidated. Several types of smooth muscle, including rat myometrium and vas deferens, are not relaxed by sodium nitroprusside, even at concentrations that produce marked elevation of cGMP and activation of PKG. The main objective of our studies was to compare PKG-mediated protein phosphorylation in intact rat aorta, rat myometrium, and rat vas deferens using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. In intact rat aorta, seven PKG substrates were detected during relaxation of the tissue. None of the PKG substrates identified in the rat aorta appeared to be phosphorylated in the myometrium or vas deferens after administration of various cGMP-elevating agents. Thus the failure of the rat myometrium and rat vas deferens to relax in the face of cGMP elevation and PKG activation may be due to a lack of PKG substrate phosphorylation.

Ontogeny of canine intrathoracic cardiac nervous system

1991 ◽  
Vol 261 (4) ◽  
pp. R920-R927 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Haddad ◽  
J. A. Armour
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Sympathetic Nervous System ◽  
Adrenergic Receptors ◽  
Beta Agonist ◽  
Canine Heart ◽  
Cardiac Innervation ◽  
Beta Adrenergic Receptors ◽  
Parasympathetic Innervation ◽  
Beta Adrenergic ◽  
Sympathetic Nervous

The functional cardiac innervation of 61 puppies from nine different litters (2-8 littermates), ranging in age from 1 day to 7 wk, was investigated. The efferent sympathetic nervous system exerted minimal effects on the heart of 1-day-old puppies, gradually influencing the heart more thereafter such that by 7 wk of life it was functionally mature. In contrast, efferent parasympathetic cardiac innervation was well developed at birth, maturing thereafter such that by 4-7 wk of age its capacity to modulate the heart was similar to that found in adults. The right- and left-sided efferent sympathetic and parasympathetic intrathoracic nervous systems induced similar cardiac modulation throughout this period of development. Cardiac myocyte beta-adrenergic receptors were partially functional at birth, as determined by responses elicited by supramaximal doses of the beta-agonist isoproterenol. Responses elicited by isoproterenol became greater over the following 7 wk of life, when they were found to be similar to those elicited in adults. By 1 wk of age, synaptic mechanisms in intrathoracic sympathetic ganglia involved in cardiac regulation were relatively well developed, with cardiopulmonary-cardiac reflexes present but not functionally mature at that age. It is concluded that maturation of the efferent sympathetic nervous system modulating the canine heart depends to a large extent on the ontogeny of cardiac beta-adrenergic receptors rather than the ontogeny of synapses in intrathoracic ganglia. Furthermore, even though functional cardiac efferent parasympathetic innervation is present before efferent sympathetic innervation, both reach maturity at about the same age.

Changes in resting membrane potential induced by active sensitization in the guinea-pig vas deferens

1998 ◽  
Vol 76 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 802-806 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Noireaud ◽  
O Souilem ◽  
S Baudet ◽  
J -C Bidon ◽  
M Gogny ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Smooth Muscle ◽  
Membrane Potential ◽  
Guinea Pig ◽  
Smooth Muscle Cells ◽  
Vas Deferens ◽  
Smooth Muscles ◽  
Muscle Cells ◽  
Resting Membrane Potential ◽  
Ouabain Binding

Smooth muscles hyperresponsiveness is a common feature in anaphylaxis and allergic diseases. The aim of the present work was to investigate whether the enhanced reactivity of sensitized guinea-pig vas deferens was associated with changes in the resting membrane potential (Er) of the smooth muscle cells. Active sensitization was performed by subcutaneous injection of egg albumen. Er was measured in vitro in isolated vas deferens with conventional KCl-filled microelectrodes. Quantification of [3H]ouabain binding sites, measurements of 86Rb efflux, and measurements of Na and K contents were also performed. In normal physiological solution, at 35°C, Er was a mean of -54.1 ± 0.3 mV (mean ± SEM) in control vas deferens. Sensitization resulted in depolarizing Er by about 7 mV. In control and sensitized preparations, the 3H-ouabain binding site concentration, the efflux of 86Rb, and the K content were similar. In guinea-pig vas deferens, active sensitization induced a partial depolarization of the resting membrane potential of the smooth muscle cells, which did not result from a downregulation of Na+-K+ pump sites.Key words: hyperreactivity, sensitization, Na+-K+ ATPase, guinea-pig, vas deferens, smooth muscle.

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