The effects of Y‐27632, a Rho‐kinase inhibitor and BAY41‐2272, a soluble guanylyl cyclase activator, on the tone and nitrergic responses of rabbit vaginal wall and clitoral corpus cavernosum were investigated. Y‐27632 and BAY41‐2272 (10 nM–10 μM) elicited concentration‐dependent relaxation of phenylephrine‐induced tone in both tissues. IC50 values of Y‐27632 for vaginal and clitoral tissues were 370±30 nM, and 467±14 nM, respectively. BAY41‐2272 had IC50 values of 478±54 nM and 304±38 nM respectively. The effect of the Y‐27632 on the tissue tone was not affected by an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase (L‐NAME; 500 μM). However, L‐NAME reduced the potency of BAY41‐2272 in the clitoral corpus cavernosum but not in the vaginal wall. BAY41‐2272 enhanced nitrergic relaxation responses only in the clitoral corpus cavernosum. Y‐27632 had no effect on nitrergic relaxations in either tissue. These results demonstrate that Y‐27632 and BAY41‐2272 elicit relaxation of the rabbit vaginal wall and clitoral corpus cavernosum.
British Journal of Pharmacology (2003) 138, 287–290. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0705090
DOI: 10.1038/sj.bjp.0705090
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