Nonspecific relaxation of intestinal smooth muscle induced by antispasmodics and movement of Calcium ions

Lack of a causal relationship between the vasodilator effect of papaverine and cyclic AMP production in the dog basilar artery

The effects of papaverine and isoprenaline on smooth muscle cells of the dog basilar artery were investigated using radioimmunoassay, electrophysiological and isometric tension recording methods. For comparative purposes, the actions of these drugs on the guinea-pig basilar artery were also examined. Papaverine and isoprenaline (1 microM and 10 microM) increased the amount of cyclic AMP in both dog and guinea-pig basilar arteries. Papaverine (up to 100 microM) and isoprenaline (up to 1 microM) had no effect on the membrane potential and membrane resistance measured by recording the amplitudes of the electrotonic potentials in smooth muscle cells of the dog and guinea-pig basilar arteries. The action potential evoked by outward current pulses after pretreatment with tetraethylammonium chloride (5-10 mM) was inhibited by papaverine (greater than 1 microM) but not by isoprenaline (up to 10 microM) in smooth muscle cells of the dog and guinea-pig basilar arteries. In the dog basilar artery, papaverine (greater than 1 microM) consistently inhibited the contractions evoked by excess concentrations of [K]o (greater than 20.2 mM) or 5-hydroxytryptamine (10 nM-10 microM), dose-dependently. Isoprenaline (1 microM) had only slight effects on the contraction evoked by low concentrations of 5-hydroxytryptamine (10 nM). In the Ca2+-free solution containing EGTA (2 mM), the contraction evoked by 5-hydroxytryptamine (10 microM) or caffeine (10 mM) was dose-dependently inhibited by papaverine (greater than 1 microM). However, isoprenaline (1 microM) had no effect on these contractions. These results indicate that the vasodilator actions of papaverine on the dog basilar artery are mainly due to inhibition of the voltage-dependent influx of Ca2+ and also to inhibition of the receptor-activated release of Ca2+ stored in the cell. Since isoprenaline increased the cyclic AMP to the same extent as papaverine but had no effect on the electrical and mechanical responses, the inhibitory actions of papaverine on this tissue may not be causally related to the increased levels of cyclic AMP induced by inhibition of phosphodiesterase.

Differential effects of vasodilators on the mobilization of calcium pools during contractions of rabbit ear artery induced by noradrenaline and high potassium

The effects of some vasodilators on the mobilization of different Ca2+ pools during contractions produced by noradrenaline and high K+ medium in rabbit ear artery has been investigated. Sodium nitrite was much more effective in antagonizing high K+-stimulated Ca2+ fluxes through the potential-dependent Ca2+ channels than noradrenaline-induced mobilization of intracellular Ca2+ stores or Ca2+ fluxes through receptor-operated channels. Papaverine was only slightly more active on contractions sustained by influx of extracellular Ca2+ (through potential-dependent channels and receptor-operated channels) than on those sustained by intracellular Ca2+. Verapamil and nifedipine were much more effective in antagonizing contractions sustained by Ca2+ entry through potential-dependent channels than through receptor-operated channels. Nifedipine was completely ineffective in antagonizing noradrenaline-induced mobilization of intracellular Ca2+ stores while verapamil had a limited inhibitory action in high concentrations. Phentolamine was equieffective in antagonizing both types of noradrenaline-induced contractions while having no effect on high K+-induced tonic contraction.

Inhibitory alpha-adrenergic action of phenylephrine in guinea pig taenia caecum

Phenylephrine, a selective alpha-adrenergic stimulant, caused a maximal relaxation of the taenia from guinea pig caecum in the concentration of 10(-6) g/ml. Phenylephrine in this concentration did not influence intracellular cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP levels. Although phenylephrine abolished the spontaneous spike discharge, no change was detected in 45Ca-uptake and 45Ca-efflux on the tissue level after phenylephrine. Ca-uptake and Ca-release on the subcellular level were also not influenced by phenylephrine. In Ca free-solution phenylephrine inhibited the response to CaCl2. Phenylephrine increased 42K-efflux in the normally polarized taenia and also in the K-depolarized taenia.