Effects of cobalt or nickel on the sympathetically mediated contractile responses in rat-isolated vas deferens

Subchronic (30 days) exposure of rats to Co(NO3)2 or NiSO4 (20 mg.kg-1) in drinking water caused suppression of the isolated vas deferens contractile responses to exogenous adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP), noradrenaline, and l-phenylephrine, shifting the concentration-response curves to the relevant agonist to the right. Both metals facilitated the alpha 1-adrenoceptor antagonistic effects of prazosin, which resulted in increased pA2 values for the drug (9.68 +/- 0.13 in controls vs. 10.15 +/- 0.12 in Co(2+)-treated preparations and 12.60 +/- 0.67 in Ni(2+)-treated preparations). The inhibitory effect of clonidine on the contractions in response to low-frequency electrical field stimulation (EFS) in metal-treated preparations was decreased with pD2 values: 10.52 +/- 0.04 in controls, 9.56 +/- 0.13 in Co(2+)-treated preparations and 9.92 +/- 0.16 in Ni(2+)-treated preparations. The monophasic contractile responses to low-frequency EFS (0.1 Hz, 1 ms, 80 V) as well as the first phase of the biphasic contractions after high-frequency long-lasting EFS (300 pulses, 0.1 ms, 40 V, at 4, 8 or 20 Hz) were significantly increased in both groups of heavy metal-treated preparations. Therefore, subchronic exposure to Co2+ or Ni2+ leads to changes in pre- and postjunctional mechanisms underlying the sympathetically mediated contractile activity of isolated rat vas deferens.