OBJECTIVETo study the effect of taurine on apoptosis in PASMCs, and whether the death-receptor pathway act in the mechanism.

METHODCulture the PASMCs, and divided the cells into control, SD. Acridine orange(AO) assay and western-blot analysis on the expression of Bax, Bcl-2, Procaspase-3 and Fas were used to study the mechanism.

RESULTA major finding of this study is that the Tau effects many apoptosis index, such as increasing the expression of Bax and Fas, decreasing the expression of Procaspase-3, and Bcl-2, accrescencing the mitochondrial depolarization, causing the nuclear shrinkage, all these datas demonstrated that Tau induced the apoptosis in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells through mitochondrial-dependent pathway.

CONCLUSIONTau induces the apoptosis in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells through death-receptor.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Male ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; cytology ; drug effects ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; drug effects ; Pulmonary Artery ; cytology ; drug effects ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Taurine ; pharmacology

Animals ; In Vitro Techniques ; Muscle Contraction ; drug effects ; Muscle, Smooth ; drug effects ; physiology ; Progesterone ; pharmacology ; Rabbits ; Trachea ; drug effects

To investigate the role of ligustrazine on relaxation of the isolated rabbit corpus cavernosum tissue in vitro, the effects of ligustrazine on the corpus cavernosum were observed by using experimental method of smooth muscle strips. Concentration-responses to phenylephine (PE) and KCl were recorded. The results showed that ligustrazine concentration-dependently depressed the contraction response of smooth muscle strips induced by PE. The maximum percentage relaxation of cavernosal strips by ligustrazine was 74.1% +/- 6.2% (compared with control: 21.9% +/- 5.6%, P < 0.01). Ligustrazine concentration-dependently reduced the amplitude of the contraction induced by cumulative doses of PE or KCl, shifted the cumulative concentration response curves of PE and KCI to the right and depressed their maximal responses. It was concluded that ligustrazine could significantly relax the cavernosal muscle contraction induced by PE in vitro. The results suggested that ligustrazine inhibited calcium ion influx.
Calcium Channels/drug effects ; Muscle Contraction/*drug effects ; Muscle Relaxation/*drug effects ; Muscle, Smooth/*drug effects ; Muscle, Smooth/physiology ; Penis/*drug effects ; Penis/physiology ; Phenylephrine/pharmacology ; Potassium Chloride/pharmacology ; Pyrazines/*pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo study the kinetogenic effects of serum containing Semen Arecae, Dandelion, Semen raphani and Atractylodes macrocephala on the colonic smooth muscle cells of rats.

METHODSSerum containing Chinese materia medicas was made according to standard methods. Smooth muscle cells were isolated from the muscle layers of Wistar rat's colon, referred to modified Bitar's method. The contractile response of colonic smooth muscle cells to serum containing Chinese materia medicas (10%, 50%, 100% concentration) and other medicines (blank and 1 x 10(-3) mol/L acetylcholine) were separately observed. The contractility was presented by the decrease of the cell length between the drug groups and the control.

RESULTSSerum containing each Chinese materia medica can make dose-dependent contraction at different concentrations (P < 0.05), but the strongest effect of each serum had no significant difference (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSerum containing Semen Arecae, Dandelion, Semen raphani and Atractylodes macrocephala can make notable contraction on colonic smooth muscle cells in rats.

Animals ; Cells, Cultured ; Colon ; cytology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Muscle Contraction ; drug effects ; Muscle, Smooth ; cytology ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; drug effects ; Rats

SS-cream (Severance Secret cream) is made up of extracts from 9 natural products for treating premature ejaculation (PE). SS-cream has been proved to be effective in the treatment of PE in pilot clinical studies. It has also been found to have a potentiating effect of their erectile capacity in some patients. Therefore, we investigated the pharmacological actions of SS-cream and the extracts of its individual components in rabbit corpus cavernosal smooth muscle to realize the effect of SS-cream on penile erection. Extracts of Bufonis Venenum induced a dose-related contraction of rabbit corpus cavernosal muscle, which was significantly inhibited by phentolamine. Extracts of Caryophylli Flos induced a dose-related relaxation in the muscle strips precontracted with phenylephrine (5 x 10(-6)M; PHE). Caryophylli Flos caused a dose-dependent inhibition of the PHE induced contraction and also inhibited the contractility of Bufonis Venenum. Other extracts, when used individually or in a mixture, induced a dose-related relaxation in the precontracted muscle strips with PHE. SS-cream began to exert a relaxing effect at the concentration of 0.05 mg/ml in the muscle strips precontracted muscle strips with PHE (5 x 10(-6)M); causing dose-dependent relaxation with a maximal effect at 0.2 mg/ml. The relaxation effect of SS-cream was partially inhibited by endothelial disruption and by pretreatment with methylene blue, pyrogallol, atropine, and indomethacin, although they were not statistically significant. The results show that SS-cream has a relaxing effect on cavernosal smooth muscle. And it is partly related with enhancing the NO/cyclic GMP pathway although the relaxation mechanism in detail remains to be elucidated. Therefore, SS-cream may be effective for future treatment of mild erectile dysfunction, in addition to its role for premature ejaculation.
Animal ; Ejaculation/drug effects ; In Vitro ; Male ; Muscle Contraction/drug effects ; Muscle, Smooth/drug effects ; Penile Erection/drug effects ; Penis/*drug effects/physiology ; Plant Extracts/*pharmacology ; Rabbits

Ethanol has various effects on male sexual activity under the influence of direct and indirect, in acute and chronic alcohol ingestion. However, whether acetaldehyde, a principal metabolite of ethanol, may affect penile erection directly has still not been elucidated. This present study was, therefore, designed to clarify the pharmacologic effects of the acetaldehyde on corpus cavernosal smooth muscle. Corpus cavernosal strips were prepared from rabbit penises. Isometric tension changes of rabbit corpus cavernosal strips to various drugs and electrical field stimulation (EFS) in an organ chamber were recorded with a pressure transducer after active muscle tone had been induced by phenylephrine (10(-5) mol/L). At the concentrations employed, acetaldehyde had no effect on the pH of the bathing medium. Acetaldehyde in each concentration did not significantly affect resting tone of the smooth muscle during 30 min incubation. Acetaldehyde suppressed contractility induced by phenylephrine and KCI at 10(-4) mol/L, and relaxation induced by EFS and bethanechol at 10(-3) mol/L and 10(-4) mol/L respectively, but acetaldehyde enhanced relaxation induced by ATP at high acetaldehyde level. Sodium nitroprusside-induced relaxation was not affected at any employed acetaldehyde concentration. This suggests that increasing the acetaldehyde level may contribute to male erectile dysfunction mainly by the inhibition of nitric oxide formation.
Acetaldehyde/pharmacology* ; Animal ; Bethanechol/pharmacology ; In Vitro ; Male ; Muscle Contraction/drug effects ; Muscle Relaxation/drug effects ; Muscle, Smooth/physiology ; Muscle, Smooth/drug effects* ; Nitroprusside/pharmacology ; Penis/physiology ; Penis/drug effects* ; Phenylephrine/pharmacology ; Potassium Chloride/pharmacology ; Rabbits

Ethanol has various effects on male sexual activity under the influence of direct and indirect, in acute and chronic alcohol ingestion. However, whether acetaldehyde, a principal metabolite of ethanol, may affect penile erection directly has still not been elucidated. This present study was, therefore, designed to clarify the pharmacologic effects of the acetaldehyde on corpus cavernosal smooth muscle. Corpus cavernosal strips were prepared from rabbit penises. Isometric tension changes of rabbit corpus cavernosal strips to various drugs and electrical field stimulation (EFS) in an organ chamber were recorded with a pressure transducer after active muscle tone had been induced by phenylephrine (10(-5) mol/L). At the concentrations employed, acetaldehyde had no effect on the pH of the bathing medium. Acetaldehyde in each concentration did not significantly affect resting tone of the smooth muscle during 30 min incubation. Acetaldehyde suppressed contractility induced by phenylephrine and KCI at 10(-4) mol/L, and relaxation induced by EFS and bethanechol at 10(-3) mol/L and 10(-4) mol/L respectively, but acetaldehyde enhanced relaxation induced by ATP at high acetaldehyde level. Sodium nitroprusside-induced relaxation was not affected at any employed acetaldehyde concentration. This suggests that increasing the acetaldehyde level may contribute to male erectile dysfunction mainly by the inhibition of nitric oxide formation.
Acetaldehyde/pharmacology* ; Animal ; Bethanechol/pharmacology ; In Vitro ; Male ; Muscle Contraction/drug effects ; Muscle Relaxation/drug effects ; Muscle, Smooth/physiology ; Muscle, Smooth/drug effects* ; Nitroprusside/pharmacology ; Penis/physiology ; Penis/drug effects* ; Phenylephrine/pharmacology ; Potassium Chloride/pharmacology ; Rabbits

The aim of this study was to elucidate the effects of anti-hypertensive drugs, nifedipine, furosemide, hydrochlorothiazide, captopril, and atenolol on DNA synthesis and proliferation of cultured rat aortic smooth muscle cells induced by fetal calf serum. Aortic smooth muscle cells from Sprague-Dawley rats were isolated, cultured, and seeded in multi-well plates. When confluent, cells were cultured in a conditioned medium without fetal calf serum. After 72 hours, cells were cultured in the medium retaining 10% fetal calf serum with or without anti-hypertensive drugs by increasing the concentration between 10(-8) and 10(-4) M. DNA synthesis was assessed by [3H]-thymidine uptake and proliferation by cell numbers using a hemocytometer. Nifedipine at a concentration of 10(-5) M and 5 x 10(-5) M inhibited serum-induced DNA synthesis significantly by 50.8% and 86.6%, respectively (p < 0.05). The results of cell numbers paralleled those of 3H-thymidine incorporation. Serum-induced DNA synthesis was also reduced by 32.6% at the highest dose of furosemide (10(-4) M), but there was no statistical significance. Hydrochlorothiazide, captopril, and atenolol did not show anti-proliferative effect throughout any of the doses. In conclusion, among the various anti-hypertensive drugs, nifedipine seems to be most beneficial in view of its direct inhibitory effect on DNA synthesis and proliferation of smooth muscle cells, as well as for its anti-hypertensive effect.
Animal ; Antihypertensive Agents/pharmacology* ; Aorta/metabolism* ; Aorta/drug effects* ; Cell Division/drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; DNA/biosynthesis* ; Male ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular/metabolism* ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular/drug effects* ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular/cytology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Calcium channels exist extensively in the membrane of cardiac, skeletal, smooth muscle cell and neuron. Calcium channel blockers (CCB) were widely used for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases because they could relax vascular smooth muscle. Experimental researches on calcium channel blockers relaxing corpus cavernosum smooth muscle have been reported recently. Whether the blockers can be used for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of erectile dysfunction still need to be further investigated.
Animals ; Calcium Channel Blockers ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Calcium Channels ; metabolism ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Muscle Relaxation ; drug effects ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; drug effects ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; drug effects ; Penile Erection ; drug effects

OBJECTIVETo observe and compare the effects of 17beta-estradiol (EST) on the phasic and tonic contractile activities of the uterine smooth muscles of SD rats in vitro.

METHODSDifferent concentrations of 17beta-estradiol were added into the perfusion muscular sockets containing uterine smooth muscles of SD rats, and the activities of muscle contraction were recorded at the same time.

RESULTS17beta-estradiol had obvious depression effects on spontaneous rhythmic contraction of the uterine smooth muscles in a concentration-dependent manner, it could considerably decrease muscular tension, the mean amplitudes and frequencies of contractile waves (P < 0.01); it could also suppress the uterine contraction stimulated by KCl, CaCl2 or prostaglandin F2alpha (PGF2alpha). Based on the contraction of uterine smooth muscle stimulated by KCl, IC50 was 7.278 micromol/L and pD2 was -0.862 when calculated by linear regression method. 17beta-estradiol could also inhibit the maximal CaC12 contraction of uterine smooth muscle in the Ca2+ free Krebs solution, which the ECQ was 1.422 x 10(-3) mol/L, pD2 was 2.847 (control), but the E50 was 3.028 x 10(-3) mol/L, p2 was 2.519 (added with EST) when calculated by linear regression method.

CONCLUSIONThe depression effects of 17beta-estradiol on the spontaneous rhythmic contraction and activated contraction of the uterine smooth muscles of SD rats could be mediated through the blockage of C2+ influx through potential-dependent Ca2+ channels of plasma membrane.

Animals ; Estradiol ; pharmacology ; Female ; Muscle, Smooth ; drug effects ; Myometrium ; drug effects ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Uterine Contraction ; drug effects