The human deferential artery: endothelium-mediated contraction in response to adrenergic stimulation

The human vas deferens receives its blood supply from the deferential artery, a long vessel which usually arises from the superior vesical artery. To date no information is available on the responsiveness of this artery to adrenergic stimulation. In the present work the effects of electrical field stimulation and noradrenaline were studied isometrically in rings of human deferential artery obtained from patients undergoing radical cystectomy (n = 7) or prostatectomy (n = 10). Electrical field stimulation (1-8 Hz, 20 V, 0.25 ms for 30 s) caused frequency-dependent contractions that were abolished by guanethidine, tetrodotoxin or prazosin. Noradrenaline (10(-7)-10(-4) M) induced concentration-dependent contractions with an EC50 of 1.3 x 10(-5) M. The increases in tension induced by electrical field stimulation and noradrenaline were of greater magnitude in arteries denuded of endothelium. The inhibitor of nitric oxide synthesis, NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (10(-4) M), potentiated the responses to electrical field stimulation and noradrenaline in artery rings with endothelium. The results indicate that the human deferential artery has a marked ability to contract in response to adrenergic stimulation; they also suggest that the endothelium may have an inhibitory effect on adrenergic responses due, at least in part, to the release of endothelial nitric oxide. These effects could play an important role in regulating blood flow to the vas deferens.