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Comparison of the serotonin receptors that mediate smooth muscle contraction in canine and porcine coronary artery.

Serotonin (5-HT) is one important mediator of the coronary vasospasm and occlusion associated with thrombosis and atherosclerosis. 5-HT concentration-dependently contracted both canine and porcine coronary artery rings in vitro. In the dog, 5-HT-induced contraction was not blocked by either LY53857 (1 microM) or ketanserin (1 microM), but was blocked by the nonselective 5-HT receptor antagonist 1-naphthylpiperazine (1-NP) (100 nM), indicating 5-HT receptor involvement. Unlike the dog, both LY53857 (1 microM) and ketanserin (30 nM) antagonized 5-HT-induced contraction in pig arteries. Dissociation constants for LY53857 and ketanserin in porcine arteries were compared with those in rat jugular vein, a tissue possessing a well characterized 5-HT2 receptor. Both LY53857 (3 nM) and ketanserin (3 nM) antagonized 5-HT-induced contraction in rat jugular vein; however, the affinities of LY53857 and ketanserin in the rat jugular vein were significantly higher than those in the pig coronary. The rank order contractile potency for 5-HT, (alpha Me-5-HT) and sumatriptan in porcine coronary artery was consistent with that established for a 5-HT2 receptor, whereas the rank order potency in canine coronary artery indicated non-5-HT2 receptor involvement. Sumatriptan, a 5-HT1D receptor-selective agonist, was equieffective to 5-HT in contracting the canine coronary artery, a response inhibited by 1-NP (100 nM). Sumatriptan failed to contract either the pig coronary or rat jugular vein. In summary, significant differences exist in the 5-HT receptors that mediate contraction between the canine and porcine coronary artery.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Muscle contraction increases palmitate esterification and oxidation and triacylglycerol oxidation.

We examined the oxidation and esterification of palmitate and the hydrolysis and oxidation of intramuscular lipids in isolated soleus muscles at rest and during tetanic contractions (2-40 tetani/min). Muscles were pulsed with [14C]palmitate to prelabel all intramuscular lipid pools. Muscles remained at rest or were then stimulated to contract at 2, 8, 20, or 40 tetani/min (30 min) in the presence of [3H]palmitate. Palmitate oxidation was increased 412% at 2 tetani/min (P < 0.05) and 880% at 8 tetani/min (P < 0.05). During contraction there was an absolute increase in esterification of palmitate to triacylglycerol in proportion with the increasing rate of palmitate oxidation. Intramuscular lipid oxidation provided approximately 77% of the total muscle energy compared with approximately 3% provided by exogenous palmitate under all conditions, with carbohydrate sources (glycogen and glucose) providing approximately 20% of the total energy. Thus, during muscle contraction, the oxidation rates of both exogenous and intramuscular lipids are increased in proportion to each other, while concomitantly palmitate is esterified in proportion to its oxidation.

Animals↗

The mechanism of the inhibition by carbonic acid of the smooth muscle contraction produced by histamine and oxytocin.

Carbonic acid inhibited the stimulating action of histamine on guinea-pig intestine and of oxytocin on the uterus of many animal species. This effect was relatively specific. Under the same conditions the actions of acetylcholine, KCl, adrenaline (on rabbit uterus), and ergot alkaloids were not inhibited. The electrical excitability of smooth muscle was similarly not affected. The inhibitory action of carbonic acid is directly proportional to its concentration in the medium in which the isolated organ is maintained. The study of the activity of histamine and oxytocin at different pH in a medium free of NaHCO(3) and buffered with a mixture of sodium maleate and maleic acid suggested that the inhibitory action exerted by carbonic acid was specific and independent of the simultaneous modifications of the hydrogen ion concentration. The mechanism of these phenomena is discussed.

Acetylcholine↗

Nitric oxide is an autocrine feedback inhibitor of vascular smooth muscle contraction.

BACKGROUND: Substances that increase intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i), such as potassium chloride and serotonin, are known to induce vascular smooth muscle (VSM) contraction. One form of nitric oxide synthase, which converts L-arginine to nitric oxide, exists as a Ca(2+)-calmodulin dependent enzyme. The objective of this study was to determine whether agonists that induce VSM contraction by increasing [Ca2+]i might also activate Ca(2+)-calmodulin dependent nitric oxide synthase in VSM. METHODS: Strips of bovine carotid arterial smooth muscle denuded of endothelium were equilibrated in a physiologic muscle bath. A maximal contractile response to high extracellular potassium chloride and serotonin was established. The strips were then preincubated with NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA), a structural analog of L-arginine and specific inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase, and again treated with either KCl or 5-hydroxytryptamine. RESULTS: The contractile responses of muscle strips to KCl or 5-hydroxytryptamine were significantly greater in muscle strips pretreated with L-NMMA than responses in the absence of L-NMMA (p < 0.02, Student's t test). To determine whether this response was Ca2+ dependent, phorbolester-induced contractions in Ca(2+)-free conditions were examined. No difference was noted in the magnitude of Ca(2+)-free, phorbol ester-induced contractions in the presence and absence of L-NMMA. CONCLUSIONS: These data thus suggest that Ca(2+)-calmodulin dependent nitric oxide synthase is functionally present in VSM and may function as an autocrine regulatory mechanism of VSM contraction.

Animals↗

Inhibitory action of aliphatic alcohols on smooth muscle contraction.

The addition of 0.05-0.20 mM CaCl2 to the isolated guinea pig ileum immersed in a depolarizing (excess potassium), and calcium-free Tyrode solution produces a dose-related contraction, which is reversibly blocked by aliphatic alcohols of low molecular weight. The inhibitory potency of the alcohols increases with the length of their carbon chain, and may be due to an interference with the movement of calcium across the smooth muscle cell membrane.

Alcohols↗

Dependence of proliferating dedifferentiated vascular smooth muscle contraction on Rho-Rho kinase system.

Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) are not terminally differentiated and, owing to their remarkable plasticity, can change to a dedifferentiated state in response to vascular injury. Our understanding of the contractility of VSMCs is mainly based on the data obtained from normal adult animals. However, to obtain a better understanding of the abnormal contractility seen in the vascular diseases such as hypertension and vasospasm superimposed on atherosclerosis, it is important to also know the contractility of proliferating dedifferentiated VSMCs. To this end, we studied the contractility of cultured VSMCs that undergo dedifferentiation similar to that induced by vascular injury. There are only a few reports in which the contractility of cultured VSMCs has been extensively studied. We established a method to investigate the contractility of the cultured VSMCs and determined that their contraction is dramatically changed to be more dependent on the Rho-Rho kinase system but less dependent on the PKC-CPI-17 (protein kinase C-potentiated protein phosphatase 1 inhibitory protein)-mediated pathway. In this review, we focus on the contractility of the cultured VSMCs as a model of the proliferating dedifferentiated VSMCs.

Animals↗

Prolonged hyporesponsiveness of vascular smooth muscle contraction after halothane anesthesia in rabbits.

Halothane diminishes smooth muscle contractility in vascular tissue. In order to further characterize this phenomenon we undertook a series of in vivo and ex vivo experiments. Pressor dose-response curves to the selective alpha 1-adrenergic agonist, phenylephrine, were constructed in groups of rabbits before, during and 2 hr after halothane anesthesia and the dose of phenylephrine that induced a 25 torr increase in mean arterial pressure (ED25) was derived by polynomial regression analysis. ED25 torr increased significantly during halothane anesthesia, and rabbits remained in this insensitive state when the ED25 was assessed 2 hr after anesthesia. The halothane-induced loss of responsiveness was corroborated by ex vivo experiments utilizing aortic rings from halothane-anesthetized rabbits. The maximal contraction to norepinephrine (NE) was significantly lower in halothane-treated aortic rings and only slowly returned to normal by 4 hr. The EC50 (the dose causing a 50% maximal contraction) for NE was significantly greater in aortic rings from halothane-anesthetized rabbits. This loss of sensitivity, reflected by the higher EC50 was not restored by 4 hr of ex vivo incubation in a halothane-free medium. We conclude that halothane induces loss of sensitivity to adrenergic agonists that persists for several hours after termination of the halothane anesthetic.

Anesthesia↗

The structural basis of muscle contraction.

The myosin cross-bridge exists in two conformations, which differ in the orientation of a long lever arm. Since the lever arm undergoes a 60 degree rotation between the two conformations, which would lead to a displacement of the myosin filament of about 11 nm, the transition between these two states has been associated with the elementary 'power stroke' of muscle. Moreover, this rotation is coupled with changes in the active site (CLOSED to OPEN), which probably enable phosphate release. The transition CLOSED to OPEN appears to be brought about by actin binding. However, kinetics shows that the binding of myosin to actin is a two-step process which affects both ATP and ADP affinity and vice versa. The structural basis of these effects is only partially explained by the presently known conformers of myosin. Therefore, additional states of the myosin cross-bridge should exist. Indeed, cryoelectron microscopy has revealed other angles of the lever arm induced by ADP binding to a smooth muscle actin-myosin complex.

Actins↗