Fig. 1.

Maximum EFS- and agonist-induced contractions (a), effects of ATP disodium salt on EFS-induced contractions (b), and control experiments (c) in human prostate tissues. In a, maximum contractions and tensions from each single experiment (i.e., each prostate) in control groups of all series of organ bath experiments (Figs. 1b, and 2, 3, 4, and 5) are plotted, regardless at which frequency or agonist concentration this occured. In b, EFS-induced contractions were induced after a stable, i.e., maximum contraction was attained following administration of 30 mM ATP disodium salt, or after a corresponding period following administration of an equivalent amount of water. In c, NaCl, Na₂SO₄, or HCl was applied in amounts required for elevations of NaCl concentrations of 60 mM, required to obtain the final Na₂SO₄ concentrations of 30 mM, or required to reduce the pH to 4.2 (corresponding to the pH measured after application of 30 mM ATP disodium salt). Salt- and HCl-induced tensions were referred to a second KCl-induced contraction (raised as control for intact tissue at the end of the experiment), which is again plotted and expressed as percentage of the first KCl-induced contraction (raised in the beginning of the experiment). Shown are all values from single experiments in a, means ± SD from series with prostate tissues from n = 5 patients in b, and all values from single experiments from series with prostate tissues from n = 5 patients in c, with tissue from one prostate being allocated to the control and ATP groups in one of a total of five independent experiment in b