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Amitriptyline eliminates calculi through urinary tract smooth muscle relaxation
Eduardo Achar1, Rosi A N Achar, Therezinha B Paiva
1Nephrology Division, Escola Paulista de Medicina/Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Brazil.
Kidney International
|September 13, 2003
Summary
Amitriptyline effectively relaxes urinary tract smooth muscle by opening potassium channels, aiding in the elimination of urethral plugs and improving renal function in cats with obstructive acute renal failure (ARF). This suggests potential for treating urolithiasis.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Urology
- Nephrology
Background:
- Investigated amitriptyline's effects on urinary tract smooth muscle and urolithiasis.
- Cats with obstructive acute renal failure (ARF) due to urethral plugs were studied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate amitriptyline's efficacy in treating obstructive ARF in cats.
- To elucidate the mechanism of amitriptyline's action on urinary tract smooth muscle.
Main Methods:
- Administered amitriptyline to cats with obstructive ARF and analyzed renal function and survival.
- Recorded isometric contractions and membrane potentials of isolated smooth muscle from rats, pigs, and humans.
Main Results:
- Amitriptyline eliminated urethral plugs in all treated cats, restoring renal function and achieving a 100% survival rate.
- Demonstrated potent relaxation of rat urethral strips and abolished contractions in rat bladder, pig ureter, and human ureter.
- Showed amitriptyline's effects are mediated by voltage-dependent potassium channels, as blocked by 4-aminopyridine.
Conclusions:
- Amitriptyline is a potent relaxant of urinary tract smooth muscle via potassium channel opening.
- Suggests amitriptyline administration can aid in the elimination of urinary calculi and treat urolithiasis.