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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1990

Cell locomotion forces versus cell contraction forces for collagen lattice contraction: an in vitro model of wound contraction.

Cultured human dermal fibroblasts suspended in a rapidly polymerizing collagen matrix produce a fibroblast-populated collagen lattice. With time, this lattice will undergo a reduction in size referred to as lattice contraction. During this process, two distinct cell populations develop. At the periphery of the lattice, highly oriented sheets of cells, morphologically identifiable as myofibroblasts, show cell-to-cell contacts and thick, actin-rich staining cytoplasmic stress fibers. It is proposed that these cells undergoing cell contraction produce a multicellular contractile unit which reorients the collagen fibrils associated with them. The cells in the central region, referred to as fibroblasts, are randomly oriented, with few cell-to-cell contacts and faintly staining actin cytoplasmic filaments. In contrast it is proposed that cells working as single units use cell locomotion forces to reorient the collagen fibrils associated with them. Using this model, we sought to determine which of these two mechanisms, cell contraction or cell locomotion, is responsible for the force that contracts collagen lattices. Our experiments showed that fibroblasts produce this contractile force, and that the mechanism for lattice contraction appears to be related to cell locomotion. This is in contrast to a myofibroblast; where the mechanism for contraction is based upon cell contractions. Fibroblasts attempting to move within the collagen matrix reorganize the surrounding collagen fibrils; when these collagen fibrils can be organized no further and cell-to-cell contacts develop, which occurs at the periphery of the lattice first, these cells can no longer participate in the dynamic aspects of lattice contraction.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1989

Endothelin induces two types of contractions of rat uterus: phasic contractions by way of voltage-dependent calcium channels and developing contractions through a second type of calcium channels.

Effects of endothelin on nonvascular smooth muscle have been examined using rat uterine horns and two modes of endothelin action have been revealed. Endothelin (0.3 nM) caused rhythmic contractions of isolated uterus in the presence of extracellular calcium. The rhythmic contractions were completely inhibited by calcium channel antagonists. These characteristics of endothelin-induced contractions were very similar to those induced by oxytocin. Binding assays using 125I-endothelin showed that endothelin and the calcium channel blockers did not compete for the binding sites. However, endothelin was unique in that it caused, in addition to rhythmic contractions, a slowly developing monophasic contraction that was insensitive to calcium channel blockers. This developing contraction became dominant at higher concentrations of endothelin and was also calcium dependent.

Animals↗
PubMed1975

Myonemal contraction of Spirostomum. III. The thermal dependence of contraction, relaxation and excitation-contraction coupling.

A microphotometric technique that displays rapid length changes of Spirostomum has been used to follow the variation with temperature of these kinetic parameters of myonemal contraction: contraction rate, relaxation rate and stimulus duration at threshold. In each case the exponential form of the relationship indicated that the gross rate constant might be equated with the limiting rate constant, k, of a driving chemical reaction, and from standard expressions of chemical kinetics the change in activation free energy appropriate to this reaction has been computed.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Protein phosphorylation during the contraction-relaxation-contraction cycle of arterial smooth muscle.

Porcine carotid arterial muscles were labeled with 32P and then subjected to a resting-contraction-relaxation-contraction cycle. Four different agents were used for contraction: KCl, histamine, norepinephrine, and phorbol dibutyrate. To relax the contracted muscles, they were washed with physiological salt solution. Changes in the [32P]phosphate content of four different proteins--myosin light chain, a 28-kDa cytosolic protein, desmin, and caldesmon--were followed. In a short contraction-relaxation-contraction cycle lasting minutes, induced by K+, histamine, or norepinephrine, only the light chain underwent a phosphorylation-dephosphorylation-rephosphorylation without concomitant cyclic phosphorylation of the 28-kDa protein, desmin, or caldesmon. In a contraction-relaxation-contraction cycle of long duration, 60-min contractions with K+, histamine, or norepinephrine, cyclic phosphorylation of both the light chain and desmin was observed. With 60-min phorbol dibutyrate stimulation, in the long contraction-relaxation-contraction cycle, the phosphorylations of the light chain, desmin, and caldesmon were cycling. It is concluded that under physiological conditions, light-chain phosphorylation initiates both short and sustained arterial contraction. Desmin phosphorylation is likely to be involved in force maintenance during sustained contraction.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Glucose uptake and transport in contracting, perfused rat muscle with different pre-contraction glycogen concentrations.

1. Glucose uptake and transport, muscle glycogen, free glucose and glucose-6-phosphate concentrations were studied in perfused resting and contracting rat skeletal muscle with different pre-contraction glycogen concentrations. Rats were pre-conditioned by a combination of swimming exercise and diet, resulting in either low (glycogen-depleted rats), normal (control rats) or high (supercompensated rats) muscle glycogen concentrations at the time their hindlimbs were perfused. 2. Compared with control rats, pre-contraction muscle glycogen concentration was approximately 40% lower in glycogen-depleted rats, whereas it was 40% higher in supercompensated rats. Muscle glycogen break-down correlated positively (r = 0.76; P less than 0.001) with pre-contraction muscle glycogen concentration. 3. Glucose uptake during contractions was approximately 50% higher in glycogen-depleted hindquarters than in control hindquarters; in supercompensated hindquarters it was 30% lower. When rats with similar muscle glycogen concentrations were compared, glucose uptake in hindquarters from rats that had exercised on the preceding day was approximately 20% higher than in hindquarters from rats that had not exercised on the preceding day. 4. Muscle membrane glucose transport, as measured by the rate of accumulation of 14C-3-O-methylglucose in the contracting muscles, was 25% lower in supercompensated than in glycogen-depleted muscles at the onset as well as at the end of the 15 min contraction period. 5. Intracellular concentrations of free glucose and glucose-6-phosphate were higher at rest and during the entire 15-min stimulation period in supercompensated muscles than in glycogen-depleted muscles, and glucose uptake during contractions correlated negatively with free glucose (r = -0.52; P less than 0.01) as well as with glucose-6-phosphate (r = -0.49; P less than 0.01) concentrations. 6. It is concluded that: (a) The rate of glucose uptake in contracting skeletal muscle is dependent on the pre-contraction muscle glycogen concentration. Regulating mechanisms include limitations of membrane glucose transport as well as of glucose metabolism. (b) Contractions on the preceding day have a stimulating effect on glucose uptake during contractions of the same muscles on the next day.

3-O-Methylglucose↗
PubMed1987

Calcium channels and excitation-contraction coupling in cardiac cells. I. Two components of contraction in guinea-pig papillary muscle.

Biphasic contractions have been obtained in guinea-pig papillary muscle by inducing partial depolarization in K+-rich solution (17 mM) containing 0.3 microM isoproterenol; whereas in guinea-pig atria, the same conditions led to monophasic contractions corresponding to the first component of contraction in papillary muscle. The relationships between the amplitude of the two components of the biphasic contraction and the resting membrane potential were sigmoidal curves. The first component of contraction was inactivated for membrane potentials less positive than those for the second component. In Na+-low solution (25 mM), biphasic contraction became monophasic subsequent to the loss of the second component, but tetraethylammonium unmasked the second component of contraction. The relationship between the amplitude of the first component of contraction and the logarithm of extracellular Ca2+ concentration was complex, whereas for the second component it was linear. When Ca2+ ions were replaced by Sr2+ ions, only the second component of contraction was observed. It is suggested that the first component of contraction may be triggered by a Ca2+ release from sarcoplasmic reticulum, induced by the fast inward Ca2+ current and (or) by the depolarization. The second component of contraction may be due to a direct activation of contractile proteins by Ca2+ entering the cell along with the slow inward Ca2+ current and diffusing through the sarcoplasm. These results do not exclude the existence of a third "tonic" component, which could possibly be mixed with the second component of contraction.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed1992

Arginine vasopressin inhibits phasic contractions and stimulates giant contractions in monkey colon.

Abdominal cramps and urgent defecation are common side effects of clinical doses of arginine vasopressin, indicating that the drug may have stimulating effects on colonic motor activity. Four strain-gauge transducers were implanted on the colon in six monkeys. A blood flow probe was fixed on the inferior mesenteric artery. After a 1-hour control recording, vasopressin, 0.13, 1.3, or 13.0 ng.kg-1.min-1, was infused intravenously for 90 minutes. The frequency of basal colonic contractions was reduced with increasing doses of vasopressin, but their mean amplitude and duration were not altered. Giant migrating contractions associated with defecation were initiated by the highest dose of vasopressin. Atropine had no effect on these giant migrating contractions but completely inhibited normal phasic contractions. Hexamethonium completely inhibited both giant migrating contractions and phasic contractions. Parasympathetic denervation of the colon did not inhibit giant migrating contractions initiated by vasopressin. Our findings suggest that the physiological concentrations of serum vasopressin present perioperatively may transiently inhibit spontaneous colon contractions but are unlikely to be the major cause of postoperative ileus. The giant migrating contractions initiated by vasopressin may account for the defecation associated with pharmacological doses of vasopressin. The initiation of giant migrating contractions by vasopressin may be mediated through a neural pathway.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Effects of hypoxia and reoxygenation on regular contractions and postrest contraction in rat papillary muscles.

The effects of hypoxia and reoxygenation on regular contractions and postrest contractions (PRC) of papillary muscle of rats were studied. Isometric tension was measured during two cycles of hypoxia and reoxygenation. Trains of 80 externally continuous stimulations at 40/min were applied. PRCs were evoked by a stimulus train after a 60 sec resting interval. After 90 min of hypoxia (the first hypoxia period), regular contractions and PRCs decreased to 5.6 +/- 2.0% and 23.4 +/- 2.4% of baseline values, respectively (p less than 0.001; n = 18). After 90 min of reoxygenation, the recovery of the PRCs (44.4 +/- 3.4%) was better than that of the regular contractions (23.3 +/- 3.3%) (p less than 0.01; n = 18). After 30 min of hypoxia (the second hypoxic period), regular contractions and PRCs decreased to 2.2 +/- 0.6% and 13.6 +/- 1.6% of baseline values, respectively (p less than 0.001; n = 18). However, the recovery from the second hypoxic injury was not significant for either regular contractions or PRCs. The % diastolic tension, which was normalized to the baseline for regular contractions, increased to 113.2 +/- 6.9% and 133.6 +/- 8.4% at the end of the first and the second hypoxic periods, respectively. There was statistically significant correlation between the % diastolic tension and the % hypoxic injury of PRCs (p less than 0.002; n = 18). There was no significant relationship between % diastolic tension and % hypoxic injury of regular contractions. There was no statistically significant correlation between % diastolic tension and % recovery from the hypoxic injury of either regular contractions or PRCs.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Flash photolysis studies of excitation-contraction coupling, regulation, and contraction in smooth muscle.

1. Flash photolysis of caged compounds of phenylephrine, inositol 1, 4, 5 trisphosphate (InsP3), GTP gamma S, ATP, and CTP has been successfully used to study excitation-contraction coupling, contractile regulation, and contraction in smooth muscle. Major processes explored with this method were (a) the delay between agonist-receptor interaction and contraction and between the rise in InsP3, Ca2+ release and contraction; (b) the effect of myosin light chain phosphorylation on the rate of force development and the respective contributions of phosphorylation and crossbridge kinetics to differences between phasic and tonic smooth muscles; (c) the kinetics of the crossbridge cycle. We have also reviewed recent results obtained by other methods and bearing on the mechanisms of pharmacomechanical Ca2+ release and modulation of the Ca2+ sensitivity of the regulatory/contractile apparatus. 2. The long delay (1.5 at 22 degrees C) following activation of alpha 1-adrenergic receptors through photolysis of caged phenylephrine and the high Q10 of this process are consistent with the hypothesis that activation of phospholipase C is the major mechanism of alpha-adrenergic pharmacomechanical Ca2+ release. 3. The delay between photolysis of caged InsP3 and Ca2+ release is short: 30 ms or less, while the latency of contraction is significant (0.3-0.5 s at 22 degrees C) and similar to the lag between the rise in [Ca2+]i and force development in intact smooth muscles. The latency of contraction following photolysis of caged ATP in permeabilized muscles in rigor, in the presence of Ca2+ and calmodulin, is similar, about 0.2-0.5 s at 22 degrees C. 4. In muscles in which the myosin light chains are maintained in a phosphorylated state during rigor, photolysis of caged ATP initiates contractions with a short delay (10 ms or less). This result and those summarized above (2 and 3) suggest that the major portion of the delay between agonist-receptor interaction and contraction is due to activation of phospholipase C and InsP3 production, and about 0.2-0.5 s of the delay (22 degrees C) can be ascribed to prephosphorylation reactions between Ca2+, calmodulin, and myosin light chain kinase, and/or to mechanical processes, or to the chemical kinetics of two-step reactions. 5. Force development from rigor, initiated by photolysis of caged ATP in the presence of Ca2(+)-calmodulin, is rate-limited by myosin light chain phosphorylation; it is significantly accelerated if the myosin light chains are already phosphorylated prior to photolysis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Effects of propiverine hydrochloride on the spontaneous contractions of isolated guinea-pig urinary bladder strip and rhythmic urinary bladder contractions of anesthetized dog.

The effects of propiverine hydrochloride (P-4, CAS 60569-19-9), a new drug to treat pollakiuria, was investigated on the spontaneous contractions of isolated guinea-pig urinary bladder strip and rhythmic urinary bladder contractions of anesthetized dog. At 10(-6)-10(-5) mol/l P-4 raised the base line of an isolated guinea-pig urinary bladder strip and accelerated its spontaneous contraction. At 10(-4) mol/l P-4 raised, and then lowered the baseline, and accelerated then suppressed its spontaneous contractions. Papaverine at 10(-6)-10(-4) mol/l also showed a similar action as P-4 in the isolated guinea-pig urinary bladder strip. Flavoxate at 10(-6)-10(-4) mol/l raised its base line and accelerated its spontaneous contractions. Those of P-4 at 10(-5) mol/l were not inhibited by tetrodotoxin 10(-6) mol/l). At doses of 50 mg/kg or more, intraduodenal administration of P-4 suppressed the frequency of rhythmic urinary bladder contractions of anesthetized dog in a dose-dependent manner. These results indicate that P-4 shows mainly an accelerating action on the endogenous spontaneous contractions of urinary bladder, but on exogenous contractions induced by the Balloon's method it shows an suppressing action and regulates the functions of the urinary bladder, so P-4 might become a useful drug for the clinical treatment of micturitional dysfunction, for example, pollakiuria.

Anesthesia↗
PubMed1989

Inhibition of the contraction of the isolated longitudinal muscle of the guinea-pig ileum by botulinum C2 toxin: evidence for a role of G/F-actin transition in smooth muscle contraction.

The effect of botulinum C2 toxin was studied on the contractions of the guinea pig ileum myenteric plexus longitudinal muscle preparation. Botulinum C2 toxin inhibited the muscle contraction induced by electrical stimulation (60 V; 0.5 ms; 0.33 Hz) in a time and concentration dependent manner. The inhibitory effect occurred with a time lag of about 1 h, and depended on the presence of both toxin components. After 4 h of incubation with 1.7 micrograms/ml of component I and 6.7 micrograms/ml of component II of botulinum C2 toxin, the smooth muscle contraction was inhibited by about 60%. At these toxin concentrations, about 55% of the modifiable smooth muscle actin was ADP-ribosylated. Smooth muscle contraction induced by bradykinin and bethanechol were similarly inhibited. Moreover, the C2 toxin inhibited muscle contraction induced by Ba2+, and by direct muscle membrane depolarization (60 V; 10 ms; 0.33 Hz) after suppression of acetylcholine release by normorphine. Also cytochalasin D inhibited the electrically evoked contraction of the ileum longitudinal muscle. In contrast to botulinum C2 toxin, inhibition of contractility by cytochalasin D occurred without a lag phase, and was reversed by washing off the toxin. In contrast of guinea pig ileum longitudinal muscle, botulinum C2 toxin did not reduce the contraction of the rabbit aortic smooth muscle stimulated by K+-depolarization or noradrenaline.

Actins↗
PubMed1987

Calcium channels and excitation-contraction coupling in cardiac cells. II. A pharmacological study of the biphasic contraction in guinea-pig papillary muscle.

Biphasic contractions were obtained in guinea-pig papillary muscle by inducing partial depolarization in K+-rich solution (17 mM) in the presence of 0.3 microM isoproterenol. Mn2+ ions inhibited the two components of contraction in a similar way. Nifedipine and particularly Cd2+ ions specifically inhibited the second component of contraction. Isoproterenol and BAY K 8644 markedly increased the amplitude of the second component (P2) of contraction. Nevertheless, a moderate positive inotropic effect of isoproterenol was found on the first component (P1) of contraction when excitability was restored by 0.2 mM Ba instead of isoproterenol. Acetylcholine and hypoxia decreased the amplitude of the second component of contraction to a greater extent. In the presence of digoxin or Na+-free solution, P1 was strongly increased. When sarcoplasmic reticular function was hindered by 1mM caffeine or in the presence of Ca2+-free Sr2+ solution, digoxin always induced a negative inotropic effect on P2. Inversely in these conditions the transient positive inotropic effect of Na+-free solution was strongly reduced. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the late component of contraction is triggered by the slow inward Ca2+ current and that the early component is due to Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum.

Acetylcholine↗
PubMed1992

Slow channel calcium blockers attenuate reoxygenation-mediated vascular contraction, but augment anoxia-mediated vascular contraction.

Anoxia and reoxygenation modulate vasomotor tone. To determine the effect of the slow channel calcium blockers verapamil and diltiazem in vascular smooth muscle contraction during states of altered oxygenation, rat aortic rings with intact endothelium were contracted with norepinephrine (NE) or the thromboxane A2 mimic U46,619 and then exposed abruptly to anoxia (switch from 95% O2 to 95% N2) for 30 min and then reoxygenated (switch from 95% N2 to 95% O2). Anoxia caused a transient 40 +/- 9% (mean +/- SE, n = 15) increase in contraction, whereas reoxygenation resulted in an initial decrease followed by a large (83 +/- 21%) increase in contraction. Treatment of vascular rings with verapamil or diltiazem (1 microgram/ml or 2 microM) decreased contractile response to the agonists (p less than 0.01). Both these agents consistently augmented the magnitude and duration of anoxia-induced contraction (p less than 0.01). In other experiments, pretreatment of vascular rings with NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA), an inhibitor of endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) synthesis, or with oxyhemoglobin, an inhibitor of EDRF activity, or de-endothelialization resulted in marked (p less than 0.01) decrease in anoxic contraction, indicating that anoxia-induced contraction is caused by modulation of EDRF. Treatment of aortic rings with verapamil also reduced acetylcholine-mediated relaxation (from 86 +/- 6% to 45 +/- 5%, p less than 0.02) and cyclic GMP accumulation (from 192 +/- 53 to 111 +/- 35 fmol/mg, p less than 0.02), indicating reduction in EDRF synthesis or activity by verapamil.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

15-Hydroxy-11 alpha,9 alpha-(epoxymethano)prosta-5↗
PubMed1991

Stopped-flow measurement of cytoskeletal contraction: Dictyostelium myosin II is specifically required for contraction of amoeba cytoskeletons.

Cytoskeletons provide valuable information on the composition and organization of the cell's contractile machinery, and in many cases these cell models retain the ability to contract. To quantitate contraction rates, we developed a novel stopped-flow assay permitting simultaneous analysis of thousands of Dictyostelium cytoskeletons within milliseconds of mixing with Mg-ATP. Cytoskeletons were placed in one syringe of the stopped flow apparatus and the appropriate buffer was placed in the second syringe. Mixing with Mg-ATP caused an immediate increase in the absorbance at 310 nm. Rapid fixation of the cytoskeletons during the reaction confirmed that this change in absorbance was highly correlated with contraction of the cytoskeletons. This spectroscopic change was used to measure the effects of temperature, pH, ionic strength, and nucleotides on contraction rate. Treatment with high salt and ATP removed most of the myosin, some actin, and small amounts of minor proteins. These extracted cytoskeletons lost the ability to contract, but after the addition of purified Dictyostelium myosin they regained full function. In contrast, rabbit skeletal muscle myosin was unable to restore contractility, even though it bound to the extracted cytoskeletons. Cytoskeletons prepared from a myosin-null mutant did not contract. Upon the addition of purified ameba myosin, however, they became contractile. These results suggest that filamentous Dictyostelium myosin II is essential for contraction, and that the actin cytoskeleton and associated proteins retain their functional organization in the absence of myosin.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1987

The effect of ethanol on spontaneous contractions and on the contraction produced by periarterial nerve stimulation and by acetylcholine in the rat isolated ileum.

1. The effect of ethanol (0.01-1000 mg.ml-1) on tone, contractility, and the contractions produced by periarterial nerve stimulation and by acetylcholine was studied in the rat isolated ileum. 2. In low concentrations, ethanol reduced the spontaneous contractions by 60 +/- 1.5% and in high concentrations, it produced a marked contraction in the muscle (3.2 +/- 0.3 g, mean +/- SE, n = 6). 3. In the presence of adrenergic, histaminergic, serotonin and prostaglandin antagonists, ethanol (1.8 mg.ml-1) reduced the contractions produced by periarterial nerve stimulation, at 1-100 Hz with 20 V and 0.2 msec pulse duration, by 80 +/- 3.4%. Ethanol also reduced the contractions produced by acetylcholine (0.001-1 microgram.ml-1), the mean EC50 values were 0.1 +/- 0.01 microgram.ml-1, control, and 0.96 +/- 0.1 microgram.ml-1, in ethanol, respectively. 4. Although the mechanism of action of ethanol at the gut smooth muscle is not clear, it is known that it may block conduction, depolarize the cell membrane and cause release of intracellular calcium, which is, in part, responsible for the contraction produced by ethanol in the rat ileum.

Acetylcholine↗