Autonomic control of acid phosphatase exocrine secretion by the rat prostate

In vivo prostatic secretion was collected from retired breeder Sprague Dawley rats using a method for isolated perfusion of the rat prostatic urethra. Enzymatic acid phosphatase determination was performed on the collected effluent. Control acid phosphatase secretion was 24.2 +/- 2.7 nm over 30 minutes. Intravenous phenylephrine 5 mg/kg stimulated a 10 fold increase in acid phosphatase secretion. The secretion seen with phenylephrine was dose dependent and could be blocked with prazosin, but not yohimbine, atropine, or propranolol. Intravenous beta-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol caused no increase in the secretion of rat prostatic acid phosphatase. Intravenous administration of the cholinergic agonist pilocarpine also resulted in a dose dependent rise in acid phosphatase secretion. The stimulation seen could be blocked by atropine but not phentolamine or propranolol. The stimulation of acid phosphatase secretion seen with alpha 1 adrenergic or cholinergic agonists was not additive. Intravenous vasoactive intestinal peptide did not stimulate acid phosphatase secretion nor did it augment the secretion induced by alpha 1 adrenergic or cholinergic agonists. Release of acid phosphatase into rat prostatic exocrine secretion is under both alpha 1 adrenergic and cholinergic control.