Influence of calcium on the effects of okadaic acid and its interaction with caffeine and theophylline in rat myometrium.

The effects of okadaic acid (OA), a monocarboxylic acid produced by marine dinoflagellates belonging to the genera Dinophysis and Prorocentrum, and their interactions with theophylline and caffeine were studied on the rat-isolated uterus in a calcium-containing medium and a calcium-free medium in the presence of 10−3 M EGTA. Okadaic acid (5 × 10−6 to 5 × 10−5 M) induced a concentration-dependent contraction of the rat-isolated uterus corresponding, with 5 × 10−5M, to 142.3±6.1% (n = 7) of the contraction induced by oxytocin 10−6 M. The time to peak tension was inversely proportional to the maximum effect produced. The contraction was not sustained and was followed by a concentration-depende…