title: Nitric oxide is involved in non-adrenergic, non-cholinergic inhibitory neurotransmission in rat duodenum.
abstract: 1. In rat duodenum, electrical field stimulation (EFS) induced a relaxation due to activation of non-adrenergic, non-cholinergic (NANC) inhibitory intramural neurones. 2. Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitors, N omega-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA) and N omega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), caused a dose-dependent reduction in amplitude of the NANC relaxation. Responses to low frequencies of stimulation were more sensitive to NOS inhibitors than those to high frequencies. 3. Effects induced by NOS inhibitors were stereospecific since D-NNA and D-NAME did not affect NANC relaxation. L-arginine, but not D-arginine, partially prevented the effects induced by NOS inhibitors on NANC relaxation. 4. The nitrovasodilator drug, sodium nitroprusside, caused muscle relaxation which was not affected by preincubation with either tetrodotoxin (TTX), L-NNA or L-NAME. 5. alpha-Chymotrypsin reduced relaxations elicited by stimulation of NANC nerves, especially when high frequencies of stimulation were used. The residual NANC relaxation was further reduced by NOS inhibitors. In the same way, alpha-chymotrypsin was able to further reduce the relaxation observed after NOS inhibitors. 6. These results suggest that nitric oxide (NO) and a peptide are involved in NANC relaxation of rat duodenal smooth muscle. NO and peptidergic pathways act in parallel to produce muscle relaxation and they are preferentially activated by stimuli at low and high frequencies, respectively.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biologia cellulare e dello Sviluppo, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Corso Tukory, Italia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Postorino
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Serio
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mulè
mesh_terms: D000594:Amino Acid Oxidoreductases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D002918:Chymotrypsin / Q000494:pharmacology; D004386:Duodenum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000294:innervation* / Q000502:physiology; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D009126:Muscle Relaxation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000187:drug effects / Q000294:innervation* / Q000502:physiology; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D019335:Nitroarginine; D009599:Nitroprusside / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D009599:Nitroprusside; D019335:Nitroarginine; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D001120:Arginine; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D000594:Amino Acid Oxidoreductases; D002918:Chymotrypsin; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester