title: Electrical responses of the smooth muscle of the guinea-pig cerebral artery to brief electrical stimulation.
abstract: Electrical responses to brief electrical stimulation were investigated in the cerebral artery of a guinea-pig using a microelectrode. A single brief stimulus (0.05 ms) induced a spike potential followed by a depolarizing slow-potential, and these events were associated with muscle contraction. An outward current injected into the smooth muscle cell induced spike potential but failed to induce depolarizing slow-potential. These activities persisted in the presence of TTX (10(-6) M), guanethidine (5 X 10(-6) M), or atropin (10(-5) M). TEA (5 mM) enhanced the amplitude of the spike potential, but not that of the depolarizing slow-potential. When the external Na was reduced, the membrane transiently hyperpolarized. During this period, the depolarizing slow-potential could be evoked. In a Cl-deficient solution, the membrane depolarized and the amplitude of the depolarizing slow-potential decreased. From these observations it is believed that the contribution of K, Na, or Cl is minor. In a 20 mM-Ca solution, a brief stimulation induced neither spike potential nor depolarizing slow-potential, but did induce a hyperpolarizing slow-potential. The hyperpolarizing slow-potential was also induced in a Na-deficient solution, but only after completion of Na re-distribution across the membrane. These observations suggest that a substance released by brief stimulation produces a prolonged change in ionic conductances of the smooth muscle membrane, allowing the muscle to contract for a certain period.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001285:Atropine / Q000494:pharmacology; D002118:Calcium / Q000494:pharmacology; D002536:Cerebral Arteries / Q000294:innervation; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000187:drug effects; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004576:Electromyography; D006145:Guanethidine / Q000494:pharmacology; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000502:physiology*; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000294:innervation*; D013779:Tetrodotoxin / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D007473:Ion Channels; D013779:Tetrodotoxin; D001285:Atropine; D002118:Calcium; D006145:Guanethidine