Kumcu, Eda KarabalAydınoğlu, FatmaAstarcı, ErhanÖğülener, Nuran2021-06-232021-06-2320160028-12981432-1912https://doi.org/10.1007/s00210-015-1204-4https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12491/8859The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the sub-chronic systemic ethanol exposure has direct effect on cavernosal smooth muscle contractions induced by KCl (depolarizing) and phenylephrine (alpha(1)-receptor agonist), and the possible involvement of RhoA/Rho-kinase pathway. Sub-chronic systemic ethanol was applied to mice with inhalation route for 14 days. The blood levels in ethanol-treated mice averaged 121.2 +/- 9.1 mg/dl. KCl (80 mM) and phenylephrine (10 nM-100 mu M) induced sustained contractions in corpus corporal strips from sham-treated mice. Sub-chronic ethanol treatment reduced the contractions to KCl. However, phenylephrine-induced contractions were not affected by ethanol treatment. Rho-kinase inhibitor fasudil (50 mu M) and Y-27632 (50 mu M) inhibited contractions to KCl and phenylephrine in sham-treated mice. Ethanol treatment increased the inhibitory effect of Rho-kinase inhibitors on contractions to phenylephrine. The relaxations induced by fasudil (100 mu M) and Y-27632 (500 mu M) did not change in ethanol treatment group. In ethanol-treated group, the expression of RhoA decreased compared to sham-treated group. Also, ROCK1 expression was reduced by ethanol but not statically significant to sham-treated group; however, the expression of ROCK2 increased in ethanol group. From these findings, it seems that phenylephrine and KCl-induced contractions depends on RhoA/Rho-kinase-mediated Ca2+ sensitization. Also, these results suggest that the ethanol treatment decreased the expression of RhoA, and the inhibitory effect of ethanol on KCl-induced contractions may be due to, at least in part, the inhibition of a RhoA/Rho-kinase in mouse corpus cavernosum.eninfo:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccessEthanolKClPhenylephrineRhoA/Rho-KinaseMouse Corpus CavernosumArticle10.1007/s00210-015-1204-43893249258267286162-s2.0-84958050587Q2WOS:000370053100001Q2