Role of nitric oxide/cyclic GMP pathway in regulating spontaneous excitations in detrusor smooth muscle of the guinea-pig bladder

Aims: The role of nitric oxide (NO)/cyclic GMP (cGMP) pathway in regulating detrusor smooth muscle (DSM) function is still to be elucidated. We have investigated the effects of NO donors and phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) inhibition on spontaneous excitations in DSM. Methods: Multibundle DSM of the guinea-pig bladder generated spontaneous phasic contractions. The effects of sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and 3-morpholinosydnonimine (SIN-1), NO donors, 8-bromo-cyclicGMP (8-Br-cGMP), a cell-permeable cGMP analog and sildenafil, a PDE5 inhibitor on these contractions were examined. The effects of these agents on spontaneous action potentials were also studied using intracellular recording technique in single-bundle DSM. Results: SNP and SIN-1 enhanced spontaneous contractions in multibundle DSM and increased the frequency of spontaneous action potentials in single-bundle DSM. These excitatory effects were not antagonized by 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-alquinoxalin-1-one (ODQ), an inhibitor for guanylate cyclase, but were attenuated by cyclopiazonic acid (CPA), an inhibitor of sarco- and endoplasmic Ca ATPase (SERCA). 8-Br-cGMP invariably suppressed spontaneous contractility. Sildenafil inhibited spontaneous contractions in about 65% of multibundle DSM but had no effects on the remainder. In single-bundle DSM, sildenafil had no effect on spontaneous action potentials. Conclusions: These results suggested that NO caused an enhancement of spontaneous contractions in DSM by accelerating spontaneous action potentials through cGMP-independent mechanisms, which may involve the Ca release from intracellular stores, whilst cGMP itself has inhibitory effects on DSM contractility. Sildenafil may indirectly suppress DSM contractility by diminishing synchronicity between functional units of DSM bundles without inhibiting excitability of DSM themselves.