Effects of β-adrenoceptor antagonists in the neural nitric oxide release induced by electrical field stimulation and sodium channel activators in the rabbit corpus cavernosum

β-Adrenoceptor antagonists may present receptor-independent mechanisms, such as blockade of voltage-gated sodium channels. This study aimed to investigate the effects of non-selective (propranolol), and selective β1- (atenolol, metoprolol and betaxolol) and β2-adrenoceptor (ICI 118,551) antagonists in the nitric oxide (NO)-mediated rabbit corpus cavernosum relaxations induced by either electrical field stimulation (EFS) or activators of voltage-gated sodium channels. The sodium channel blockers tetrodotoxin and saxitoxin abolished the relaxations induced by EFS or sodium channel activators of binding site-2 (aconitine and veratridine), site-3 (Ts3 toxin), site-4 (Ts1 toxin) and site-5 (brevetoxin-3). The β-adrenoceptor antagonists failed to affect the relaxations induced by EFS, aconitine and veratridine. Relaxations induced by Ts3 and Ts1 toxins, as well as brevetoxin-3, were markedly reduced by prior addition of propranolol, betaxolol and ICI 118,551. During the established relaxation induced by Ts3 toxin, propranolol failed to restore the basal tone. In conclusion, β-adrenoceptor antagonists may cause an allosteric inhibition at the binding site-3, -4 and -5 of voltage-gated sodium channels, leading to blockade of neural NO release.