[Experimental and physiological study on the effects of autonomic drugs upon the pacemaker activity of pelviureteral...

Many workers have reported that alpha-adrenergic drugs activate and beta-adrenergic drugs suppress the ureteral activity. On the other hand, recent studies have proved that the pacemaker in the renal pelvis controls the ureteral peristalsis. In this study, in vivo and in vitro experiments were performed to explore the effects of autonomic drugs on pelvic pacemaker controlling the ureteral peristalsis. It was suggested that both of noradrenaline and isoproterenol stimulated the pacemaker activity itself, the former, however, elevated the renal pelvic pressure to accelerate the propagation of pacemaker activity consequently, while the latter decreased the renal pelvic pressure to suppress the propagation consequently. Acetylcholine stimulated the pacemaker activity and its propagation transiently, but base line of renal pelvic pressure with increased contraction pressure was decreased after drug administration. Furthermore, acetylcholine sometimes developed the retrograde peristaltic contraction from ureter to pacemaker region though the pelviureteral junction. Then acetylcholine might affect directly on ureter rather than on pacemaker itself and its propagation.