0000000000339137

AUTHOR

F. Bonvissuto

Altered electrical activity in colonic smooth muscle cells from dystrophic (mdx) mice

Because the colon from dystrophic (mdx) mice shows an altered motor pattern, probably due to neural disorders, our aim was to examine the electrophysiological properties of muscle cells and the functionality of nitrergic transmission in circular muscle from normal and mdx colon. Normal colonic cells (resting membrane potential [RMP] about -50 mV) showed spontaneous hyperpolarizations (inhibitory junction potentials; IJPs) and cyclic slow depolarizations were sometimes recorded. Mdx colon had a depolarized RMP (about -36 mV) and spontaneous IJPs, but the cyclic activity was never observed. In the normal colon, Nomega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) induced depolarization and abolished…

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Involvement of purinergic nerves in the NANC inhibitory junction potentials in pigeon oesophageal smooth muscle.

1. Electrical field stimulation (EFS) (0.5 ms in train of 2-32 Hz for 300 ms) in smooth muscle of pigeon oesophagus, in the presence of atropine (1 microm) and guanethidine (1 microm), elicited an inhibitory response consisting of a transient hyperpolarization (inhibitory junction potential, IJP) associated with muscle relaxation. 2. Sodium nitroprusside (SNP, 100 microm) induced hyperpolarization correlated to mechanical relaxation. 3. The nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitor N(omega)-nitro-l-arginine (from 0.1 to 100 microm) caused a concentration-dependent reduction of electromechanical response to EFS indicating a role for NO in this response. 4. Apamin (1 microm) reduced both IJP and r…

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Nitric oxide as neuromodulator of sympathetic transmission in rat vas deferens.

Summary Electrical field stimulation (EFS) of muscle strips in vitro elicited a tetrodotoxin (TTX)-sensitive biphasic contractile response consisting of a phasic component followed by a tonic one. The amplitude of both components of the response was impaired by Nω-nitro-L-arginine and potentiated by sodium nitroprusside. Cystamine caused a reduction in amplitude of both phasic and tonic componets of the response to EFS. Neither Nω-nitro-L-arginine, sodium nitroprusside, nor cystamine induced changes in the resting muscle tone, or in the contractile response to exogenous agonists ATP and noradrenaline (NA). The nitric oxide scavenger, 2-phenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide, i…

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Non-adrenergic non-cholinergic nerve-mediated inhibitory control of pigeon oesophageal muscle.

Pigeon oesophageal smooth muscle in vitro has spontaneous electromechanical activity. In the presence of atropine and guanethidine, electrical field stimulation evokes a transient TTX-sensitive response comprising inhibition of electric bursting activity and muscular relaxation. This NANC inhibitory response was analysed using the K+ channel blockers TEA and apamin, TEA perfusion (0.1-5 mM) induced a concentration-dependent reduction in amplitude of EFS-evoked relaxation. Responses to higher stimulation frequencies were more sensitive to TEA than those to lower ones. The maximum reduction in amplitude (29% of control) was obtained on 30 Hz EFS evoked responses during 5 mM TEA perfusion. In …

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Antagonism by SR 48692 of mechanical responses to neurotensin in rat intestine.

Abstract 1. The effects of SR 48692 on neurotensin (NT)-induced mechanical responses were investigated in rat duodenum and proximal colon by use of isometric, isovolumic preparations. 2. SR 48692 inhibited the relaxant responses to NT in duodenal circular and longitudinal muscle. It also antagonized the NT-induced contractile effects in duodenal circular muscle and in proximal colon (both muscular layers). 3. From Schild analysis and pA2 value for SR 48692 was 8.2 in tissues where NT induced relaxant effects and 7.5 in tissues where NT induced contractile effects and the slope of the regression line was not significantly different from unity, indicating competitive antagonism. 4. SR 48692 d…

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Nitrergic and purinergic interplay in inhibitory transmission in rat gastric fundus.

Summary 1  This study was undertaken to analyse the involvement of ATP in non-adrenergic non- cholinergic (NANC) relaxation and possible interplay between nitrergic and purinergic systems in rat gastric fundus. 2  Experiments were performed in vitro on strips of longitudinal muscle from rat gastric fundus, recording the mechanical activity as changes in isometric force. In addition, NO release induced by different experimental conditions was assayed. 3  Under NANC conditions in serotonin-precontracted strips, electrical field stimulation (EFS) elicited a tetrodotoxin (TTX)-sensitive relaxation accompanied by nitric oxide (NO) release. This effect was antagonized by pretreatment with the NO …

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