Autonomic receptors in urinary tract: Sex and age differences

Journal Article · Tue May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1990 · Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics; (USA)

OSTI ID:6747101

Latifpour, J; Kondo, S; O'Hollaren, B; Morita, T; Weiss, R M ^[1]

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1. Yale Univ. School of Medicine, New Haven, CT (USA)

As age and sex affect the function of the lower urinary tract, we studied the characteristics of adrenergic and cholinergic receptors in various parts of lower urinary tract smooth muscle of young (6 months) and old (4 1/2-5 years) male and female rabbits. Saturation experiments performed with (3H)prazosin, (3H)yohimbine, (3H)dihydroalprenolol and (3H)quinuclidinyl benzylate in rabbit bladder base, bladder dome and urethra indicate the presence of regional, sex- and age-related differences in the density of alpha-1, alpha-2, and beta adrenergic and muscarinic cholinergic receptors. Alpha-2 adrenergic receptor density is considerably higher in the female than in the male urethra of both age groups, whereas the higher density of beta adrenergic receptors in the female than in the male bladder base is observed only in the younger animals. The density of muscarinic receptors is higher in bladder dome than in bladder base or urethra in young rabbits of both sexes. In the old animals, the density of muscarinic receptors in bladder base increases to the level observed in bladder dome. Inhibition experiments with selective adrenergic agonists and antagonists indicate that the pharmacological profiles of alpha-2 adrenergic receptors in the urethra and beta adrenergic receptors in the bladder dome and bladder base are similar in both sexes and at both ages. Beta-2 adrenergic receptors are shown to be predominant in bladder base and bladder dome of rabbits. Parallel studies in rabbit urethra, adult rat cortex and neonatal rat lung show that the urethral alpha-2 adrenergic receptors are of the alpha-2A subtype.

• OSTI ID: 6747101
• Journal Information: Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics; (USA), Journal Name: Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics; (USA) Vol. 253:2; ISSN JPETA; ISSN 0022-3565
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550201* -- Biochemistry-- Tracer Techniques
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
AGE DEPENDENCE
ANIMALS
AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM AGENTS
BIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS
BODY
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
DRUGS
FUNCTIONS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
MAMMALS
MEMBRANE PROTEINS
MUSCLES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PARASYMPATHOMIMETICS
PROTEINS
RABBITS
RATS
RECEPTORS
RODENTS
SEX DEPENDENCE
TRACER TECHNIQUES
TRITIUM COMPOUNDS
URINARY TRACT
VERTEBRATES