Inhibition of neuromuscular transmission by prostaglandin E1 in the circular muscle of the guinea-pig vas deferens.

Pressure increases elicited by contractions of the circular muscle of the isolated guinea-pig vas deferens in response to nerve stimulation were recorded. In contrast to longitudinal muscle which contracted in response to 1--50 pulses, circular muscle responded only to longer trains of pulses (10--500) at a frequency of 10 Hz. Atropine (1.4 muM) caused a slight depression of responses to 100 shocks. Phentolamine at a concentration of 2.6 muM failed to inhibit the response to stimulation, but a higher concentration (53 muM) caused a definite blockade. Guanethidine (25 muM) strongly reduced the responses. With a stimulus train of 100 pulses no inhibition by prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) (0.028 muM) could be demonstrated; however, at a lower number of shocks (20--50) a clearcut depression was observed. The lower the number of pulses the more marked was the depression. The observation that PGE1 failed to block the contractions evoked by noradrenaline (59 muM) suggests a presynaptic inhibitory action of the prostaglandin. It is suggested that noradrenaline is the transmitter in both muscle coats of the guinea-pig vas deferens and that the neuroeffector junctions are sensitive to the effect of PGE1.