Excessive Penile Norepinephrine Level Underlies Impaired Erectile Function in Adenosine A1 Receptor Deficient Mice
JOURNAL OF SEXUAL MEDICINE
Authors: Ning, Chen; Qi, Lin; Wen, Jiaming; Zhang, Yujin; Zhang, Weiru; Wang, Wei; Blackburn, Michael; Kellems, Rodney; Xia, Yang
Abstract
Introduction. Penile erection is a complex neurovascular physiological event controlled by multiple factors and signaling pathways. A considerable amount of evidence indicates that adenosine plays a significant role in cavernosal smooth muscle relaxation. However, the specific role of adenosine and its receptors in erectile physiology and pathology is not fully understood. Aim. To determine the role of the adenosine A1 receptor (ADORA1) in penile erection. Method. Adenosine A1 receptor deficient (Adora1-/-) mice and aged-matched wild-type (WT) mice were utilized. We evaluated the in vivo erectile function by measuring the intracavernosal pressure (ICP) in response to cavernous nerve stimulation (CNS). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure the norepinephrine (NE) plasma concentration in the corpus cavernosum and systemic circulation. We also evaluated the myosin light chain phosphorylation (p-MLC) in penile tissue pre- and post-CNS. Main Outcome Measurement. The main outcome measurement of this research was the evaluation of in vivo erectile response to CNS by measuring the ICP in Adora1-/- mice and WT mice and to identify the localization and specific neuron types of ADORA1 expression by dual immunostaining and immunofluorescence co-localization. Result. In vivo, both the ratio of CNS-induced Maximum ICP to mean arterial pressure and CNS-induced slope in Adora1-/- mice were significantly lower than WT mice. At the cellular level in penile tissue, we determined that ADORA1 was highly abundant in neuronal cells. During penile erection, Adora1-/- mice exhibited a higher level of NE plasma concentration in the penis than WT mice. And WT mice had a significantly greater reduction in p-MLC compared to Adora1-/- mice. Conclusion. Our results show that ADORA1 is enriched on neuron cells where it functions to control NE release. Activation of this receptor during penile erection results in reduced NE release and reduced cavernosal smooth muscle contraction, therefore facilitating penile erection. Ning C, Qi L, Wen J, Zhang Y, Zhang W, Wang W, Blackburn M, Kellems R, and Xia Y. Excessive penile norepinephrine level underlies impaired erectile function in adenosine A1 receptor deficient mice. J Sex Med **;**:****.
Distribution of adenosine receptors in human sclera fibroblasts
MOLECULAR VISION
Authors: Cui, Dongmei; Trier, Klaus; Chen, Xiang; Zeng, Junwen; Yang, Xiao; Hu, Jianmin; Ge, Jian
Abstract
Purpose: Systemic treatment with adenosine receptor antagonists has been reported to affect the biochemistry and ultrastructure of rabbit sclera. This study was conducted to determine whether adenosine receptors (ADORs) are present in human scleral fibroblasts (HSF). Methods: Primary HSF were cultured in vitro and identified with anti-vimentin, anti-keratin, anti-desmin, and anti-S-100 antibodies. Confocal fluorescence microscopy was used to study the distribution of ADORs in the HSF cell lines and in the frozen human scleral sections. ADOR protein expression in HSF and human sclera was confirmed by western blot analysis of cell lysates. Results: ADORs were expressed in both HSF and human sclera. This was confirmed by western blot. ADORA1 expression was concentrated in the nucleus. ADORA2A was concentrated mainly in one side of the cytoplasm, and ADORA2B was found both in the nucleus and the cytoplasm. ADORA3 was expressed weakly in the cytoplasm. Conclusions: All four subtypes of ADOR were found in HSF and may play a role in scleral remodeling.