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The actions of cirazoline on the rat vas deferens
Author(s) -
Docherty J.R.,
McGrath J.C.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
british journal of pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.432
H-Index - 211
eISSN - 1476-5381
pISSN - 0007-1188
DOI - 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1984.tb16436.x
Subject(s) - postsynaptic potential , vas deferens , long term potentiation , inhibitory postsynaptic potential , medicine , endocrinology , agonist , chemistry , biology , receptor
1 The pre‐ and postsynaptic effects of the α 1 ‐agonist cirazoline were assessed in epididymal and prostatic portions of the rat isolated vas deferens. 2 Cirazoline produced a postsynaptic α 1 ‐adrenoceptor mediated potentiation of the isometric contraction to single pulse field stimulation in both prostatic and epididymal portions. 3 In epididymal portions, nifedipine (10 μ M ) greatly attenuated the postsynaptic α 1 ‐receptor mediated potentiation of nerve mediated contractions, uncovering a presynaptic inhibitory action of cirazoline. 4 No evidence was found for α 2 ‐antagonism by cirazoline. It is concluded that the previously reported antagonism of the presynaptic inhibitory effects of clonidine was due to postsynaptic potentiation of nerve‐mediated responses by cirazoline.