title: Oxytocin actions on voltage-dependent ionic channels in pregnant rat uterine smooth muscle cells.
abstract: The effects of oxytocin, a uterotonic polypeptide hormone, on the voltage-dependent slow calcium, fast sodium, and potassium channel currents were studied using whole-cell voltage clamp of freshly isolated cells from late pregnant (18-21 day) rat myometrium. The calcium current was rapidly inhibited by oxytocin (about 25% inhibition at 20 nM) in a dose-dependent manner, and this inhibitory effect was completely reversible by washout. However, inhibition was not observed when barium was used as the charge carrier. Sodium current and potassium current were not modified by oxytocin, thus sodium and potassium currents may not play important roles in oxytocin-induced augmentation of uterine contraction. It is concluded that oxytocin stimulates uterine contraction by mechanisms other than augmentation of the voltage-dependent calcium current, e.g., by release of Ca from sarcoplasmic reticulum (by inositol triphosphate) or by activation of a receptor-operated Ca channel. The inhibition of the slow calcium current may be induced by the elevation of [Ca]i.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Biophysics, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Ohio 45267-0576.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shimamura
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sperelakis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000187:drug effects; D004594:Electrophysiology; D005260:Female; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000187:drug effects*; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000187:drug effects; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D012519:Sarcoplasmic Reticulum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D015222:Sodium Channels / Q000187:drug effects; D014599:Uterus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D015220:Calcium Channels; D007473:Ion Channels; D015221:Potassium Channels; D015222:Sodium Channels; D010121:Oxytocin