Interaction of prostaglandins and adenosine 5'-triphosphate in the noncholinergic neurotransmission in rabbit detrusor.

Part of the excitatory transmission in rabbit detrusor is noncholinergic and nonadrenergic, and prostaglandins (PGs) and adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) have been implicated in this transmission. The present experiments investigate the possibility of an interaction between PGs and ATP in rabbit detrusor. Indomethacin (2.8 muM) depressed the contraction produced by ATP although it did not antagonize the contraction produced by carbachol. Treatment of detrusor strips with 1.5 mM ATP depressed the frequency response curve in field stimulated tissues. This depression was additive with that produced by atropine. In the present experiments indomethacin did not significantly augment the effect of desensitization with ATP. It is suggested that the atropine-resistant neurotransmission in rabbit detrusor may involve both ATP and PGs acting in cooperation.