title: Inhibition of neuromuscular transmission in the guinea-pig saphenous artery by atriopeptin II.
abstract: In the guinea-pig saphenous artery, stimulation of perivascular nerves elicited contraction and two types of synaptic potentials: the excitatory junction potential and the slow depolarization. The synaptic potentials were inhibited by atriopeptin II but not by sodium nitroprusside. Exogenous noradrenaline induced membrane depolarization and contraction, and both sodium nitroprusside and atriopeptin II inhibited the contraction but not the depolarization. These results suggest that atriopeptin II has an inhibitory effect both presynaptically at the nerve terminals and postsynaptically on the vascular smooth muscle cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, University of Toronto, Ont., Canada.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: MacKay
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Cheung
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001158:Arteries / Q000187:drug effects / Q000294:innervation; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000294:innervation*; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000187:drug effects*; D009599:Nitroprusside / Q000494:pharmacology; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D009599:Nitroprusside; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor