In vivo cholinergic stimulation of the rabbit oviductal musculature.

The in vivo activity of the rabbit oviductal musculature was evaluated in terms of constant rate perfusion resistance. Efforts to compare adrenergic and cholinergic stimulation showed that both pilocarpine and bethanechol chloride increased muscular activity 17-24% of that induced by epinephrine. The cholinergic stimulatory effect was reduced by adrenergic alpha blockade and completely abolished by cholinergic blockade or norepinephrine depletion. The data suggest that cholinergic stimulation of the tubal musculature is mediated, in part, via postganglionic adrenergic nerve fibers. It would appear that the oviductal musculature is not a primary target tissue for systemically administered autonomic agonists or antagonists.