Purpose: We pharmacologically characterized the functional beta-adrenoceptor subtypes mediating porcine ureteral smooth muscle relaxation.
Materials and methods: The effects of various beta-adrenoceptor agonists and antagonists on KCl induced tonic contractions in isolated porcine ureteral preparations were evaluated using a functional experimental technique.
Results: The rank order of potency for the catecholamines tested was isoprenaline > adrenaline > noradrenaline. All beta2-adrenoceptor agonists tested (salbutamol, procaterol and terbutaline) attenuated the KCl induced contraction. The 2 beta3-adrenoceptor agonists CL-316243 ((R, R)-5-[2-[[2-(3-chlorophenyl)-2-hydroxyethylamino]propyl]-1,3-benzodioxole-2,2-dicarboxylate], Kissei, Nagano, Japan) and CGP-12177A ((+/-)[4-[3[(1,1-dimethylethyl)amino]-2-hydroxypropoxy]-1,3-dihydro-2 H-benzimidazol-2-one hydrochloride], Funakoshi, Tokyo, Japan) also relaxed the ureter. The beta1-adrenoceptor agonist dobutamine had a relaxing effect on the ureter only at high concentrations (over 1 x 10 M). Isoprenaline induced relaxation was antagonized by the beta2-adrenoceptor antagonist ICI-118,551 ((+/-)-1-[(2,3-dihydro-7-methyl-1 H-inden-4-yl)oxy]-3-[(1-methylethyl)amino]-2-butanol hydrochloride, Sigma, St. Louis, Missouri) but not by the beta1-adrenoceptor antagonist CGP 20712A ((+/-)-2-hydroxy-5-[2-[[2-hydroxy-3-[4-[1-methyl-4-(trifluoromethyl)-1 H-imidazol-2-yl]phenoxy]propyl]amino]ethoxy]-benzamide methanesulphonate, Funakoshi). In the presence of 1x 10 M CGP 20712A plus 1 x 10 M ICI-118,551 the beta3-adrenoceptor antagonist SR 58894A (3-(2-allylphenoxy)-1-[(1 S)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphth-1-ylamino]-(2 S)-2-propanol hydrochloride, Kissei) antagonized isoprenaline induced relaxation.
Conclusions: Our results suggest that porcine ureteral smooth muscle is relaxed by beta2 and beta3-adrenergic stimulation, as in humans.