Effects of Mn2+ on the responses induced by different spasmogens in the oestrogen-primed rat uterus
Abstract We investigated the effect of Mn 2+ on the mechanical responses evoked by high K + (60 mM) or low Na + (25 mM) solutions, oxytocin and neurokinin A in the oestrogen-primed rat uterus. In a Ca 2+ -free, Mn 2+ (0.54 mM)-containing solution, high K + or low Na + solutions produced contractions of smaller amplitude than those observed in a normal Ca 2+ (0.54 mM) solution, which were abolished by nifedipine (1 μM). Oxytocin (1 μM) and neurokinin A (1 μM, in the presence of phosphoramidon 1 μM) evoked nifedipine-insensitive contractile responses similar to (oxytocin) or smaller (neurokinin A) in amplitude than those observed in Ca 2+ (0.54 mM)-containing solution. In strips loaded with C…
Characterization of tachykinin receptors in the uterus of the oestrogen-primed rat
The aim of our study was to characterize the tachykinin receptor population in the oestrogen-primed rat uterus. For this purpose, we investigated the receptor type(s) responsible for tachykinin-induced contraction of longitudinally-arranged smooth muscle layer. The effects of substance P (SP), neurokinin A (NKA), neurokinin B (NKB) and several of their analogues with well-defined selectivities for tachykinin NK1, NK2 and NK3 receptors were studied and their inhibition by the selective nonpeptide tachykinin receptor antagonists (S)1-(2-[3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1-(3-isopropoxyphenylacetyl)piperidin-3-yl]ethyl)-4-phenyl-1-azoniabicyclo[2.2.2]octane chloride (SR 140333, NK1-selective), (S)-N-met…
Regulation by oestrogens of tachykinin NK3 receptor expression in the rat uterus.
The expression of the tachykinin NK3 receptor and its regulation by ovarian steroids were analyzed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in uteri from ovariectomized rats. A single transcript corresponding to the 325-bp product expected for the tachykinin NK3 receptor was detected in uteri from olive oil-treated (control) ovariectomized rats. The level of tachykinin NK3 receptor mRNA in progesterone-treated animals was similar to that observed in uteri from control ones. Tachykinin NK3 receptor mRNA levels were significantly smaller in uteri from oestrogen-treated ovariectomized rats, with approximately a 32-fold decrease. These findings suggest that oestrogen, but not…
Changes in the Expression of Tachykinin Receptors in the Rat Uterus During the Course of Pregnancy1
In the mammalian female reproductive tract, tachykinin neuropeptides, such as substance P (SP), are localized to a population of sensory fibers and their precise physiological role is still unknown. The aim of the present study was to characterize the population of tachykinin receptors in the pregnant rat uterus and to assess their regulation during the course of pregnancy and after delivery. The expression of the tachykinin NK(1) receptor (NK(1)R), the tachykinin NK(2) receptor (NK(2)R), and the tachykinin NK(3) receptor (NK(3)R) in uteri from rats at different stages of pregnancy and on Day 1 postpartum was investigated by using a semiquantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain re…