The inhibitory effect of coli-endotoxin on alpha-adrenergic receptor functions in the lower urinary tract. An in vitro study in cats.

The effects of endotoxin from E. coli 06 on alpha-adrenergic receptor functions have been investigated in muscle strips from the outlet region of the feline bladder. The endotoxin from this strain, known to cause urinary tract infections, inhibited the alpha-adrenergic contractions induced by phenylephrine and noradrenaline. This inhibition was dose-dependent, correlated to time of exposure, and reversible. Alpha-adrenergic receptor function in muscle strips from cat aorta was also inhibited, but not cholinergic stimulation of muscle segments from the bladder.