Nitric oxide-sensitive guanylyl cyclase inhibits acetylcholine release and excitatory motor transmission in the guinea-pig ileum

Abstract This study examined the mechanism through which nitric oxide inhibits the release of acetylcholine and excitatory motor neurotransmission in the guinea-pig ileum. The selective inhibitor of nitric oxide-sensitive guanylyl cyclase, 1 H -[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3- a ]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ), concentration-dependently enhanced both basal release (−log EC 50 : 6.8) and electrically (10 Hz) -evoked release (−log EC 50 : 6.0) of [ 3 H]acetylcholine from longitudinal muscle-myenteric plexus preparations preincubated with [ 3 H]choline. The increase by ODQ of basal release appeared to be exocytotic since it was prevented by tetrodotoxin (300 nM) and absence of calcium from the superfusion mediu…