Functions of adrenergic and cholinergic nerves in canine effectors of seminal emission.

Spontaneous activity responses to acetylcholine (ACh), adrenaline (A), noradrenaline (NA) and barium chloride as well as the effects of various autonomic drugs on effects of field stimulation of nerves and muscle cells of isolated pieces or strips of cauda epididymidis, vas deferens, ampulla ductus deferentis and prostate of dog were studied. The main results and conclusions are: the muscles show little spontaneous activity but rhythmicity can easily be produced by e.g. stimulating agonists. The muscles are contracted by alpha-adrenoceptor stimulants. ACh has usually no or a very weak contractile effect in high concentrations. Muscles of young dogs are more sensitive to ACh. The excitatory innervation of the muscles is adrenergic and completely blocked by adrenergic neuron blockers as well as alpha-adrenoceptor blocking drugs. Stimulation of adrenergic nerves leads to maximum response already at low frequencies (4-6 Hz). This response is very similar to that provoked by a supramaximal dose of NA. Scopolamine enhances neurogenic contractile effects while physostigmine suppresses them. Hence cholinergic nerves may act by muscarinic prejunctional inhibition of the excitatory adrenergic neurotransmission rather than act directly upon the smooth muscle cells. Since secretory cells receive cholinergic innervation prejunctional inhibition of the adrenergic myomotor nerves may be of functional significance in at least the long copulatory events of the dog.