Stereoselectivity of catecholamines: differential effects of cocaine and desipramine on catecholamine-induced contractions of the rat isolated vas deferens

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Abstract
The effect of uptake1 inhibitors, cocaine and desipramine, on the contractile response of the rat isolated vas deferens to the enantiomers of noradrenaline and adrenaline and to the corresponding deoxy-derivatives, dopamine and epinene, was investigated. Cocaine (10−6 M) significantly potentiated all six agonists; the effect was most marked for the laevo-isomers (-)-noradrenaline and (-)-adrenaline. Desipramine (10−7 M) also potentiated (-)-noradrenaline, (+)-noradrenaline, (-)-adrenaline, (+)-adrenaline and epinene but, in contrast, antagonized dopamine. This selective antagonism of dopamine by desipramine was also observed for the separated epididymal and prostatic ends of the rat vas deferens.