Characterization of the alpha 1-adrenoceptors of the rat prostate gland.

The alpha 1-adrenoceptor-mediated responses of the rat prostate to phenylephrine have been examined in-vitro. Phenylephrine induced concentration-dependent contractions of the isolated prostate gland which were antagonized by WB4101 (1-30 nM). Schild plot analysis of the antagonism yielded a straight line with a slope not significantly different from unity. The pKB value of 9.2 was similar to that obtained for WB4101 on the rat vas deferens (9.4) but was greater than that obtained on the rat spleen (8.4). Chloroethylclonidine depressed responses to phenylephrine of the rat spleen but not the prostate or the vas deferens. These results indicate that the rat prostate gland possesses a typical alpha 1A-adrenoceptor similar to that found in the vas deferens.