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Pharmacologic identification, activation and antagonism of two muscarine receptor subtypes in the lower esophageal sphincter.

Lower esophageal sphincter pressures were monitored with water-filled catheters in anesthetized opossums. Muscarinic agonists McN-A-343 and bethanechol were administered in the arterial supply of the sphincter. McN-A-343 caused relaxation after a brief contraction of the sphincter. Bethanechol caused a dose-dependent contraction. Tetrodotoxin antagonized the inhibitory effect of McN-A-343 but did not antagonized sphincter contraction caused by McN-A-343 or bethanechol. The mean ED50 values were 6.9 nmol/kg i.a. for McN-A-343-induced relaxation, 10.5 nmol/kg i.a. for McN-A-343-induced contraction and 0.4 nmol/kg i.a. for bethanechol-induced contraction. Atropine caused a dose-dependent rightward shift in the dose-response curves of inhibitory and excitatory effects of the two muscarinic agonists. Pirenzepine caused a dose-dependent rightward shift in the dose-response curves of McN-A-343-induced relaxation. Pirenzepine did not modify sphincter contraction caused by the muscarinic agonists. 4-Diphenylacetoxy-N-methylpiperidine methiodide, on the other hand, did not modify McN-A-343-induced sphincter relaxation but caused dose-dependent rightward shifts in the dose-response curves of sphincter contraction caused by McN-A-343 or bethanechol. These studies suggest that there are two distinct types of muscarine receptors in the opossum lower esophageal sphincter. The M1 muscarine receptors are present on the inhibitory neurons and participate in the synaptic transmission between vagal preganglionic and intramural postganglionic inhibitory neurons. They are activated by McN-A-343 and antagonized by pirenzepine. The M2 muscarine receptors are located directly on the sphincter muscle. They are also activated by McN-A-343, but are selectively activated by bethanechol and are antagonized by 4-diphenylacetoxy-N-methylpiperidine methiodide.

(4-(m-Chlorophenylcarbamoyloxy)-2-butynyl)trimethy↗

Cholinergic stimulation of the lower esophageal sphincter in patients with vagotomy and antrectomy.

Recently cholinergic stimulation of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) with bethanechol has been shown to be effective in the treatment of chronic gastroesophageal reflux. Since chronic reflux and esophagitis also occur in patients with vagotomy and antrectomy, we studied the effect of bethanechol on sphincter pressure in 10 patients who had had vagotomy and antrectomy. Both subcutaneous (0.08 mg/kg) and oral (25 mg) administration of bethanechol caused significant increases in LES pressure in these patients. In addition, both subcutaneous and oral administration of bethanechol elevated hypotensive sphincter pressures to normal levels. Orally administered bethanechol produced a sustained increase in LES pressure throughout a 90-min study period. These studies suggest that cholinergic stimulation of the LES with bethanechol may be of therapeutic benefit in vagotomized and antrectomized patients with gastroesophageal reflux.

Administration, Oral↗

Presynaptic muscarinic receptors inhibiting active acetylcholine release in the bullfrog sympathetic ganglion.

1 The effects of bethanechol and atropine on the release of acetylcholine (ACh) from bullfrog sympathetic preganglionic nerve terminals were examined electrophysiologically. 2 Bethanechol (1 mM) caused no depolarization of sympathetic preganglionic nerve terminals, whereas carbachol or ACh in the same concentration induced marked depolarizations of these terminals. 3 Bethanechol (10 microM) depressed the amplitude of fast excitatory postsynaptic potentials (e.p.s.ps) recorded in Ca2+-high Mg2+ solution, without depolarizing ganglion cells. The quantal content measured from these fast e.p.s.ps by the variance method showed a significant reduction. 4 Amplitudes of both miniature e.p.s.ps and ACh-potentials induced by iontophoresis of ACh were not affected by addition of bethanechol (10 microM). 5 The depressant effect of bethanechol (10 microM) on fast e.ps.ps disappeared in the presence of atropine (3 microM). 6 Atropine (3 microM) increased the quantal content measured from fast e.p.s.ps recorded in low Ca2+-high Mg2+ solution. 7 The depressant effect of bethanechol (10 microM) on fast e.p.s.ps was unaffected by alpha-adrenoceptor blocking agents (phenoxybenzamine (10 microM) or phentolamine (10 microM). 8 These results suggest that presynaptic nerve terminals in bullfrog sympathetic ganglia possess a muscarinic receptor which inhibits active release of ACh.

Acetylcholine↗

Effect of calcium on neurohumoral stimulation of feline colonic smooth muscle.

The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of altering the extracellular calcium ion concentration on bethanechol or octapeptide of cholecystokinin (OP-CCK) stimulation of the isolated transverse colon of the cat. Myoelectric activity was recorded with monopolar glass-pore electrodes. Bethanechol (10(-6) M) stimulated an increase in the number of slow waves with superimposed spike potentials to 85.5 +/- 5.3% (P less than 0.001) compared with the basal spike activity (8.9 +/- 1.4%). OP-CCK (4 x 10(-9)) also increased spike activity (80.7 +/- 3.8%, P less than 0.001), which was not inhibited by atropine, phentolamine, or propranolol. Addition of 0.0 mM calcium solution to the colonic smooth muscle abolished both slow-wave and spike activity, which returned after replacing 0.25 mM calcium in the solution. Bethanechol stimulated a greater increase in spike activity as the concentration of calcium was increased. OP-CCK stimulation of colonic spike activity was more sensitive to the extracellular calcium concentration than bethanechol stimulation. Verapamil had a minimal effect on bethanechol stimulation of colonic spike activity, but it inhibited the OP-CCK stimulation. These studies suggest that 1) OP-CCK appears to stimulate colonic smooth muscle directly and 2) OP-CCK requires the presence of a greater amount of extracellular ionic calcium in order to stimulate colonic spike activity compared with bethanechol.

Animals↗

Hormonal control of pancreatic growth.

Investigations have outlined pancreatic secretory and synthetic responses to gastrointestinal hormones. However, there is little information concerning hormonal influences on pancreatic growth. These studies were designed to examine effects of chronic administration of bethanechol and cholecystokinin-pancreozymin (CCK-PZ) on the pancreas. Male albino rats were given saline, bethanechol, 6 mg/kg, or CCK-PZ, 20 U/kg, intraperitoneally twice daily and killed after 5 days. The following changes were studied; pancreatic weight; RNA, DNA, and protein content; and [(14)C]thymidine incorporation into DNA. Bethanechol administration was associated with a 20% increase in pancreatic weight and a 33% increase in mg protein/100 mug DNA. In bethanechol-treated groups, amounts of DNA/gram body weight and incorporation of [(14)C]thymidine into DNA were similar to controls. CCK-PZ administration was associated with a 71% increase in pancreatic weight and a 38% increase in mg protein/100 mug DNA. In CCK-PZ-treated groups, amounts of DNA/gram body weight were increased by 42% and [(14)C]thymidine incorporation into DNA was increased by 185%. These studies indicate that bethanechol administration was associated with increases in pancreatic cell mass (hypertrophy). CCK-PZ administration was associated with increases in cell mass and cell numbers (hypertrophy and hyperplasia). This information suggests the importance of CCK-PZ in maintaining pancreatic functional integrity. Although bethanechol and CCK-PZ elicit similar secretory responses, their mode of action on the cell, at least as far as growth influences are concerned, appears to be different.

Animals↗

Cholinergic secretory and inhibitory mechanisms in canine pancreatic secretion.

Dose-response relationships for pancreatic stimulants and the interactions by atropine were studied in conscious gastric and duodenal fistula dogs. Secretin, caerulein, and bethanechol, the two latter against background secretin, induced similar maximal secretions of water and bicarbonate, and maximal protein outputs with the two latter were not different. Actions of atropine differed according to type and dose of stimulant, dose of atropine, and secretory variable studied. In the dose interval of 10-40 microg x kg(-1) x h(-1), atropine suppressed the secretin-stimulated water and bicarbonate, but these or lower doses enhanced the response to submaximal caerulein. The secretion after 200 microg x kg(-1) x h(-1) or less bethanechol was unaffected by atropine, but the suppressed response to higher bethanechol doses was reversed and enhanced. These findings are compatible with the presence of one ductal secretory process sensitive to cholinergic influence in three ways: one secretory, partly atropine-sensitive, required for submaximal secretin's optimal action; one secretory, stimulated by bethanechol, and atropine-resistant; and one inhibitory, atropine-sensitive, triggered by caerulein (and high doses of bethanechol). Atropine at low doses inhibited the protein output by bethanechol but enhanced the submaximal caerulein response, which again indicates the presence of an inhibitory atropine-sensitive cholinergic principle. It is proposed that pancreatic polypeptide may be the mediator of this inhibition and that vasoactive intestinal polypeptide could be the mediator of the atropine-resistant cholinergic stimulation of water and bicarbonate secretion.

Animals↗

Aging effects on contractility of longitudinal and circular detrusor and trigone of rat bladder.

PURPOSE: Aging is associated with bladder dysfunction, including difficult voiding and urinary leakage. Voiding involves reduction in the bladder lumen in all dimensions brought about by contraction of the meshwork of longitudinal, circular and oblique layers of detrusor smooth muscles. Most in vitro physiological studies of the effects of aging on bladder function used the longitudinal detrusor. To understand the region specific effects of aging on bladder function the contractile responses of longitudinal and circular detrusor, and trigone segments of the bladder from young and old rats were monitored. MATERIALS AND METHODS: These studies were performed using male Fisher 344 rats 6 months (young) and 27 months (old) old obtained through the National Institute on Aging. Each rat was anesthetized and the bladder was isolated. From each bladder a strip of longitudinal detrusor, circular detrusor and trigone was isolated and mounted in an in vitro multi-muscle chamber containing normal physiological solution at 37C. Isometric contractions of the 3 bladder strips were monitored after electrical field stimulation, 120 mM. potassium and 1 to 1,000 microM. bethanechol using a digital oscilloscope. RESULTS: In longitudinal detrusor from old rats there was no significant difference in the contractions evoked by electrical stimulation or high potassium but there was a significant reduction in contractions evoked by bethanechol compared with the responses of longitudinal detrusor from young rats. In circular detrusor from old rats there was a significant increase in contractions evoked by electrical stimulation and a slight increase in contractions produced by high potassium but no significant change in contractions evoked by bethanechol compared with the responses of circular detrusor from young rats. In trigone from old rats there was a significant decrease in contractions evoked by electrical stimulation, high potassium and bethanechol compared with young trigone. CONCLUSIONS: The reduction in contractions evoked by bethanechol suggests an age related reduction in muscarinic receptors in the longitudinal detrusor of aged rats. An increase in contractions evoked by electrical stimulation without a change in contractions evoked by bethanechol suggests a decrease in compliance caused by an increase in collagen in the circular detrusor of aged rats. A general decline in all contractile responses, including those evoked by high potassium, suggests reduced membrane depolarization in the trigone of aged rats. The effect of aging is specific to different regions and functional components of the bladder, probably due to changes in muscarinic receptors, collagen and depolarization.

Aging↗

Regulation of tyrosine hydroxylase activity by muscarinic agonists in rat adrenal medulla.

Regulation of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) enzymatic activity in vivo by muscarinic receptor agonists in rat adrenal medulla was characterized in this study. Bethanechol and carbachol produce dose-dependent increases in rat adrenal TH activity. These increases are maximal (approximately 3-fold) using 10 mg/kg bethanechol or 0. 5 mg/kg carbachol and are totally inhibited by prior administration of 2 mg/kg atropine but not by 15 mg/kg hexamethonium. Transection of the splanchnic nerve innervating the adrenal gland leads to a loss in the activation of TH elicited by bethanechol, suggesting that transsynaptic influences are necessary for enzyme activation. When bethanechol is administered repeatedly once every hour for 3 hr (four injections), TH activity is not increased 20 min after the last injection, suggesting that the muscarinic receptor-mediated response desensitizes. In contrast, when nicotine is administered repeatedly once every hour for 3 hr, TH remains activated 20 min after the last injection. Cross-tolerance between the nicotine- and bethanechol-mediated effects on TH enzyme activity are not observed, when rats are injected repeatedly with nicotine and then administered bethanechol or vice versa. Coadministration of atropine and hexamethonium does not inhibit the nicotine-mediated activation of TH, suggesting that noncholinergic receptors participate in the transsynaptic activation of adrenal TH elicited by nicotine. Our results demonstrate that agonist occupation of muscarinic cholinergic receptors is associated with activation of TH enzyme in rat adrenal medulla. However, stimulation of the adrenal muscarinic receptor is not essential for the transsynaptic regulation of the enzyme.

Adrenal Medulla↗

Perinatal changes in bombesin-stimulated muscle contraction in rabbit stomach and colon.

Bombesin and its mammalian homologue, gastrin-releasing peptide, stimulate smooth muscle contraction and may promote the growth of gastrointestinal tissues. Isometric contraction of strips from circular muscle of the gastric fundus and longitudinal muscle of the distal colon were used to compare changes in the response to bombesin in newborn and weanling rabbits. There was an age-related qualitative change in gastric muscle from biphasic contractions including phasic and tonic components in the newborn to phasic contractions alone in the weanling. The colon contractions were tonic at both ages. In both tissues there was an age-related fivefold increase in stress in response to maximally effective concentrations of bethanechol (P less than 0.05). In contrast, in the stomach age-related decreases in the response to maximally effective concentrations of bombesin were observed, from 2930 +/- 179 mN/cm2 (98% of the maximal response to bethanechol) in the newborn to 565 +/- 81 mN/cm2 (4% of the maximal response to bethanechol) in the weanling (P less than 0.005). In the colon, a twofold increase in response to bombesin was observed, from 446 +/- 59 mN/cm2 (82% of the response to bethanechol) in the newborn to 862 +/- 11 mN/cm2 (29% of the response to bethanechol) in the weanling (P less than 0.05). No age-related changes were observed in the potency of bombesin in either tissue. Neither atropine nor tetrodotoxin altered the contractions in either tissue, suggesting that bombesin interacted directly with myocytes. There was three times as much bombesinlike immunoreactivity in the stomach compared with the colon, but no age-related changes in either tissue. In summary, by the age of weanling the stomach lost the tonic component of contraction and 80% of the efficacy of bombesin-stimulated phasic contraction that had been present in the newborn. The loss of efficacy, absolute in the stomach and relative to bethanechol in the colon, suggest that bombesin may be most important in stimulating motility in the neonatal period.

Animals↗

In vivo evidence of altered chloride but not potassium secretion in cystic fibrosis rectal mucosa.

In cystic fibrosis, cyclic adenosine monophosphate-mediated chloride secretion is abnormal in respiratory, small intestinal, and rectal mucosa. Calcium-mediated chloride secretion is also aberrant in CF small intestinal mucosa in cystic fibrosis, in contrast to the respiratory epithelia, where it appears to be normal. To determine whether this disparity between calcium- and cyclic adenosine monophosphate-mediated chloride secretion exists in cystic fibrosis rectal mucosa in vivo, transrectal potential difference was measured in age-matched adult cystic fibrosis subjects (n = 8) and control subjects (n = 9) in response to 10-minute luminal perfusions of bethanechol (1 mmol/L) or theophylline (5 mmol/L). In response to bethanechol, an initial (1-minute) negative change in potential difference (-1.4 +/- 1.1 mV; mean +/- SEM) was seen in control subjects, in contrast to a positive change in mean potential difference (+2.5 +/- 1.0 mV) in cystic fibrosis subjects (control vs. cystic fibrosis, P less than 0.05). After 1 minute, mean potential differences changes in both control and cystic fibrosis subjects were positive. Theophylline perfusion resulted in a significant (P less than 0.01) difference in potential difference response between groups; at 10 minutes, the potential difference became more negative (-3.6 +/- 1.4 mV) in control subjects and more positive in cystic fibrosis subjects (+3.9 +/- 1.4 mV). To determine whether second messenger-mediated potassium secretion contributed to the observed potential difference changes in response to bethanechol and theophylline, studies were repeated in the presence of barium chloride, a known blocker of potassium conductance. In the control group, barium chloride significantly enhanced the theophylline-induced negative potential difference change (P less than 0.05) and reduced the positive potential difference change seen with bethanechol alone. In subjects with cystic fibrosis, barium chloride completely abolished the previously seen positive potential difference change in response to either bethanechol or theophylline alone. These in vivo studies suggest that there is active potassium secretion in both control and cystic fibrosis rectal mucosa in response to cyclic adenosine monophosphate- and calcium-dependent secretagogues and that the magnitude of the potential difference changes attributable to barium-inhibitable potassium secretion is the same in cystic fibrosis and control subjects. In contrast, it appears that in cystic fibrosis rectal mucosa in vivo, calcium- as well as cyclic adenosine monophosphate-dependent chloride secretion is aberrant.

Adult↗

Somatostatin selectively inhibits excitatory contractile pathways of the feline lower esophageal sphincter.

UNLABELLED: Intrinsic reflexes of the feline lower esophageal sphincter (LES) have been shown to be mediated by specific arrangements of excitatory peptidergic interneurons. Inhibition of intrinsic reflexes may also be mediated by neuropeptides. The specific aims of this study were: (1) to examine the effect of somatostatin (SOM) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) on basal LES tone, and (2) to determine if these transmitters exert selective inhibitory effects on excitatory contractile pathways. Intraluminal pressures were recorded from the LES, esophagus and fundus by a fixed perfused catheter assembly in anesthetized cats. Peptides were administered via the left gastric artery. SOM had no effect on basal LES pressure with doses ranging from 10(-9) to 10(-5) g/kg. VIP induced a dose-dependent inhibition of basal LES pressure. The maximal effective dose of VIP, 10(-6) g/kg, completely inhibited basal LES pressure (34.7 +/- 6.8 to 1.0 +/- 0.6 mmHg, P less than 0.001). We have previously shown that bombesin (BN) but not substance P (SP) or bethanechol contracts the LES via tetrodotoxin-sensitive pathways. BN at the D50 (5.10(-8) g/kg) increased LES pressure by 32.1 +/- 3.6 mmHg. SOM (10(-5) g/kg) decreased this BN response to 19.2 +/- 5.0 mmHg, P less than 0.05. In contrast, while the D50 of SP (5.10(-8) g/kg) gave a similar increase in LES pressure, 28.8 +/- 5.1 mmHg, this effect was not altered by SOM (23.8 +/- 6.7 mmHg, P greater than 0.10). SOM also had no effect on bethanechol-induced LES contractions (P greater than 0.10). VIP (10(-6) g/kg) totally inhibited the LES response to the D50 of BN, SP, and bethanechol. A submaximal dose of VIP (10(-7) g/kg) partially inhibited the contractile response of all three. CONCLUSIONS: (1) VIP, but not SOM, inhibits basal LES tone. (2) SOM selectively inhibits BN but not SP- or bethanechol-induced LES contraction. (3) VIP inhibits BN, SP and bethanechol-induced LES contractions. These studies suggest that somatostatin can selectively inhibit excitatory interneurons at the LES.

Animals↗

Interaction of noradrenergic and cholinergic systems in regulation of ocular dominance plasticity.

We studied interactions among the noradrenergic (NA) and the muscarinic cholinergic (ACh) systems in the regulation of ocular dominance plasticity in kitten visual cortex. The cortex was bilaterally infused with 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) for a week. Upon termination of the 6-OHDA infusion, one hemisphere was infused with a muscarinic ACh agonist, bethanechol, through the same, chronically implanted cannula for the second week together with monocular lid suture. The other hemisphere received an infusion of the vehicle solution alone. (1) Only in the hemisphere infused with bethanechol at relatively high concentrations did we obtain a clear shift in ocular dominance. We also found that the effect of bethanechol was concentration-dependent. (2) By comparing necessary concentrations of bethanechol and NA for the respective maximal effects, we noted that the former was at least 100-fold less effective than the latter in restoring the plasticity. (3) The cortical infusion of bethanechol did not restore the plasticity to the propranolol-pretreated cortex; the ocular dominance distribution remained virtually unchanged. This result was interpreted as suggesting that functioning beta-adrenoreceptors are needed for the cortical effect of activating the muscarinic ACh receptors to become detectable. (4) The expected shift in ocular dominance following monocular deprivation was partially suppressed, when highly concentrated scopolamine, a muscarinic ACh antagonist, was used, indicating that the involvement of the ACh system in this matter was indirect. The concentration of scopolamine needed for the half-maximum effect was 172-fold higher than that of propranolol. We thus conclude that the involvement of the muscarinic ACh system in ocular dominance plasticity is secondary to that of the NA-beta-adrenoreceptor system.

Aging↗

Effect of magnesium chloride on rabbit bronchial smooth muscle.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine the extent to which magnesium relaxes bronchial smooth muscle during induced contraction. DESIGN: An in-vitro model using bronchial rings from New Zealand White rabbits stimulated to contract by electrical stimulation, histamine, or bethanechol. INTERVENTIONS: Magnesium chloride 1, 6, 16, 36, and 86 mM was added to each tissue bath and resting tension was measured. Electrical stimulation 100 V/100 ms, histamine 10 mM, or bethanechol 6.25 mM was added to washed tissues to induce contraction. This was followed with magnesium chloride 5, 10, and 50 mM, and the response of bronchial smooth muscle was measured. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Magnesium chloride 1, 6, 16, 36, and 86 mM decreased the mean +/- SEM resting tension of bronchial rings by 40 +/- 16, 100 +/- 11, 110 +/- 10, 170 +/- 9, and 275 +/- 22 mg, respectively. Electrical stimulation (4) of 100 V/100 ms increased the mean +/- SEM resting tension by 168 +/- 52 mg. Magnesium chloride 5, 15, and 50 mM added to the tissue bath decreased the response to 100 V/100 ms to 65 +/- 27, 40 +/- 23, and 1 +/- 0 mg, respectively. Histamine 10 mM (4) increased mean +/- SEM resting tension by 490 +/- 121 mg. Magnesium chloride 5, 15, and 50 mM decreased the histamine response by 80 +/- 56, 250 +/- 74, and 475 +/- 131 mg, respectively. Bethanechol 6.25 mM (14) increased the mean +/- SEM resting tension by 495 +/- 74 mg. Magnesium chloride (5, 15, 50 mM) decreased bethanechol-induced tension by 52 +/- 18, 184 +/- 26, and 506 +/- 64 mg, respectively. CONCLUSION: Magnesium chloride produced dose-dependent relaxation of bronchial smooth muscle at rest and when stimulated by histamine, bethanechol, or electrical impulse. Calcium chloride was unable to significantly reverse magnesium-induced relaxation. These data support the hypothesis that magnesium relaxes smooth muscle and dilates bronchial rings.

Animals↗

Muscarinic control of gallbladder dynamics. A study using 99Tcm-HIDA and cholinergic agonists and antagonists.

We studied 12 normal subjects who underwent four 99Tcm-HIDA examinations. Imaging was performed with 111 MBq at 1 image/min for 60 min, and was registered on a computer on a 64 x 64 word matrix. Normalized and background corrected time-activity curves on the gallbladder were obtained from which total and cumulative 10 min interval emptying was calculated. During the first examination (control), 10 min after the beginning of acquisition, 1 ml saline solution was injected subcutaneously. The second examination was performed injecting 5 mg bethanechol subcutaneously instead of saline solution. During the third and fourth examinations 10 mg pirenzepine and 0.15 mg/10 kg atropine were injected i.v. respectively, 5 min before bethanechol injection. Wilcoxon's test was used to compare the first and second studies and the latter with the third and fourth studies. The median value of gallbladder emptying at 60 min was 2% with saline solution injection and 27.5% with bethanechol. This difference was significant from minute 30 onwards. Atropine administration inhibited gallbladder emptying completely in all cases, with significant differences (P less than 0.01) in relation to bethanechol values following the first 30 min of the examination. Gallbladder emptying was observed in the study with pirenzepine, but was significantly inferior to the bethanechol values after the first 30 min.

Adult↗

Role of calcium in the regulation of colonic secretion in the rat.

In vitro experiments were performed in rat colon to define the role of calcium in the regulation of electrolyte transport. Neither basal net sodium absorption (JNanet) nor JClnet was affected by varying serosal calcium from 0 to 3.0 mM, but both were decreased by 4.8 mM calcium. Removal of serosal calcium completely inhibited the effect of bethanechol, a muscarinic cholinergic agonist, which inhibits neutral sodium-chloride absorption in 1.2 mM calcium. In contrast, theophylline significantly decreased JNanet and JClnet both in the presence and absence of calcium, but the effects of theophylline were significantly less in calcium-free media. In 3.0 mM calcium bethanechol inhibited JCLnet significantly greater than JNanet and in 4.8 mM calcium bethanechol decreased JClnet equivalent to the increase in short-circuit current without significantly altering JNanet. We conclude that 1) high [Ca2+] inhibits net sodium and net chloride absorption; 2) the alteration of electrolyte transport by bethanechol is dependent on extracellular calcium, and the alteration of electrolyte transport by theophylline is not dependent on extracellular calcium but may be dependent on intracellular calcium; and 3) in addition to inhibition of neutral NaCl absorption, bethanechol stimulates chloride secretion.

Animals↗

Cellular messengers of stimulants of pepsinogen secretion from isolated frog esophageal mucosa.

The messenger roles of Ca2+ and cyclic nucleotides in the stimulation of pepsinogen secretion by three classes of stimuli [muscarinic (bethanechol), peptidergic (bombesin), and adrenergic (isoproterenol)] were studied in vitro using the peptic gland-bearing esophageal mucosa from the American bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana. Pepsinogen secretion was stimulated in a dose-dependent manner by the calcium ionophore A23187, by dibutyryl cAMP (DBcAMP), and by isobutylmethylxanthine (IBMX), a phosphodiesterase inhibitor. Isoproterenol and bethanechol increased the tissue cAMP content in the presence of IBMX. IBMX, which by itself stimulated secretion, was potentiating in combination with bombesin, additive with bethanechol, and less than additive with isoproterenol. Omission of Ca2+ from the bathing medium did not alter basal pepsinogen secretion nor the response to maximally effective doses of isoproterenol but partly inhibited the secretory responses to bethanechol and bombesin. Ca2+-free medium with 1 mM EGTA reduced pepsinogen secretion under all basal and stimulated (including A23187- but not DBcAMP-stimulated) conditions, indicating a critical role for Ca2+ in the secretion of pepsinogen secretion. A23187 by itself produced only an initial (15-20 min) release of pepsinogen, whereas IBMX and DBcAMP produced a delayed sustained secretion. The combination of A23187 with either IBMX or DBcAMP mimicked the responses to bethanechol or bombesin. These results indicate that both calcium and cAMP may be obligatory and interacting intermediates in the full stimulation of pepsinogen secretion by frog esophageal peptic glands with at least cholinergic and peptidergic stimuli.

1-Methyl-3-isobutylxanthine↗

Effect of anoxia on in vitro bladder function.

Previous studies have demonstrated that the ability of the in vitro whole bladder to empty in response to bethanechol administration was inhibited by anoxia while its ability to generate pressure decreased only slightly. One question was not addressed by these early studies: Is the anoxic effect selective for receptor-mediated contractile stimulation (as opposed to non-receptor-mediated contractile stimulation)? The present study was designed to compare the effect of anoxia on the ability of the in vitro bladder to generate pressure, sustain pressure, and empty in response to field stimulation (FS), bethanechol and KC1 administration. Each New Zealand white rabbit was anesthetized with pentobarbital and the bladder removed. The bladder was mounted as a whole-bladder preparation in a 300-ml isolated bath containing Tyrode's solution at 37 degrees C and equilibrated with 95% O2, 5% CO2. Anoxia was produced by changing the gas mixture to 95% nitrogen, 5% CO2. The effect of anoxia on the response to FS, bethanechol, and KCl was determined at different times after the initiation of anoxia. The results of these studies can be summarized as follows. (1) Anoxia induced a time-dependent decrease in the rate of pressure generation, the magnitude of pressure generation, and the percent volume emptied in response to FS and bethanechol. (2) At all time periods of anoxia, the ability of the bladder to empty was inhibited to a significantly greater degree than either the rate of magnitude of pressure generation (for both FS and bethanechol administration).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Direct muscarinic cholinergic inhibition of hepatic glucose production in humans.

To explore the potential role of the parasympathetic nervous system in human glucoregulatory physiology, responses to the muscarinic cholinergic agonist bethanechol (5.0 mg s.c.) and antagonist atropine (1.0 mg i.v.) were measured in normal humans. There were no changes in the plasma glucose concentration or rates of glucose production or utilization following atropine administration. After bethanechol administration there were no changes in the plasma glucose concentration or fluxes despite increments in plasma glucagon (75 +/- 7 to 103 +/- 10 pg/ml, P less than 0.02). There were no changes in insulin or C-peptide levels. To test the hypothesis that direct muscarinic inhibition of glucose production was offset by an indirect action of the agonist, specifically increased glucagon secretion with consequent stimulation of glucose production, bethanechol was administered while glucagon levels were held constant with the islet clamp technique (somatostatin infusion with insulin, glucagon and growth hormone replacement at fixed rates). Under that condition the muscarinic agonist induced a 25% decrement in the plasma glucose concentration (101 +/- 8 to 75 +/- 8 mg/dl, P less than 0.05). When compared with separate clamp control studies (with placebo rather than bethanechol injection) both the rate of glucose production and the glucose concentration were reduced (P less than 0.05) following bethanechol injection; the rate of glucose utilization was unaltered. Thus, we conclude: Withdrawal of parasympathetic tone does not appear to be an important glucoregulatory process in humans. Direct muscarinic cholinergic inhibition of hepatic glucose production occurs in humans but during generalized muscarinic activation this is offset by an indirect muscarinic action, increased glucagon secretion with consequent stimulation of glucose production. Thus, particularly if regional neuronal firing occurs, the parasympathetic nervous system may play an important role in human glucoregulatory physiology.

Adult↗