Increased HDC mRNA expression and decreased HMT mRNA expression may be playing some role in the hyperresponsiveness of patients with allergic rhinitis.

In the human urethra, phenylephrine-induced contractions were mediated through alpha1L-adrenoceptors and not through alpha1A-adrenoceptors. Contractions of the human urethra induced by NS-49 were also mediated mainly through alpha1L-adrenoceptors, with high potency and moderate efficacy. NS-49 may therefore be useful for the treatment of urinary stress incontinence, with minimal side-effects because it has subtype selectivity.

The production of immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibody is largely dependent on the ratio between interleukin-4 (IL-4) (a T helper 2 (Th2)-type cytokine) and interferon-g (IFN-g) (a T helper 1 (Th1)-type cytokine). Interleukin-5 (IL-5) (also a Th2-type cytokine) is an important eosinophil differentiation factor and also costimulates B-cell growth and differentiation. The present study was designed to evaluate and compare the expression of IFN-g, IL-4 and IL-5 mRNA in the nasal mucosal membrane of sensitized Brown-Norway (BN) rats. Fourteen BN rats were divided into two groups: non-sensitized (control) and sensitized. The sensitized group was injected with ovalbumin (OA) intraperitoneally on three consecutive days. Twenty-one days later, rats were exposed to 1% OA aerosol. Twenty-four hours after exposure to aerosol, nasal mucosa was extracted from both groups and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed. The densities of the bands of IL-4, IL-5 and IFN-g mRNA were expressed as percentages against b-actin mRNA. Our results showed that the mean values for IL-4 and IL-5 mRNA were increased significantly in sensitized rats compared with control rats. In contrast, the mean value for IFN-g mRNA was significantly lower in sensitized rats compared with those of the control group. Our data therefore suggest that sensitization of rat nasal mucous membranes results in the predominant expression of Th2-type cytokines.

The alpha1L-adrenoceptor subtype is more prominent in the human, rabbit and dog urethra and dog prostate than in the human prostate.

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