The effect of nicergoline on the lower urinary tract muscle

Summary

Two series of experiments were performed to determine whether nicregoline possesses an alpha-adrenergic blocking action on the lower urinary tract musculature in dogs and humans. One series consisted of in vivo studies of urethral pressure profile recordings in 19 female dogs, and their responses to adrenergic stimulation with noradrenaline or methoxamine, alone and following administration of nicergoline. The other series consisted of in vitro isometric studies of 61 strips of human prostate, and the establishement of dose response curves to nor-adrenaline alone and in the presence of various concentrations of nicergoline. In both sets of experiments clear evidence of an alpha-adrenergic blocking effect was obtained. From the in vitro experiments, the Kb of nicergoline was calculated as ≤9x10^-9 M.