title: Effect of acetylcholine and morphine on bronchial smooth muscle contraction and its modulation by steroid hormones.
abstract: 1. The effects of corticosteroid pretreatment on acetylcholine (ACH)-induced contraction of bronchial smooth muscle (BSM) were studied. 2. ACH dose-response curves for dexamethasone (DM)- and corticosterone (B)-treated but not deoxycorticosterone (DOC)-treated BSM were significantly shifted to the right; this provides evidence that glucocorticoid treatment reduced the sensitivity of BSM to ACH. 3. Morphine enhanced BSM contraction in response to ACH by 20%. DM suppressed this enhancement. 4. These findings correlated well with the reduction of muscarinic receptor numbers in BSM by glucocorticoids in our previous study. In addition, glucocorticoids reduced the sensitivity of BSM to opioids.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur.
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Nabishah
authors.forename: P B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Morat
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Khalid
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Kadir
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001980:Bronchi / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000494:pharmacology; D003900:Desoxycorticosterone / Q000494:pharmacology; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D004347:Drug Interactions; D004723:Endorphins / Q000502:physiology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D009020:Morphine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D009270:Naloxone / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D004723:Endorphins; D009270:Naloxone; D003900:Desoxycorticosterone; D009020:Morphine; D003907:Dexamethasone; D000109:Acetylcholine; D003345:Corticosterone