title: Effect of Clostridium perfringens epsilon toxin on rat isolated aorta.
abstract: The effect of Clostridium perfringens epsilon toxin on rat isolated aorta was investigated. The toxin caused contraction of the isolated aorta in a dose-dependent manner. The toxin induced no contraction of the isolated aorta in low-Na medium and of the tissue stored at 4 C for 7 days. However, tetrodotoxin (TTX) had no effect on the toxin-induced contraction. The toxin-induced contraction was significantly inhibited by phentolamine and prazosin, but did not by atropine, mecamylamine, chlorpheniramine and methysergide. These data suggest that the toxin-caused contraction is mediated through nervous system in rat isolated aorta.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokushima Bunri University, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nagahama
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Iida
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sakurai
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002118:Calcium / Q000502:physiology; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology; D003016:Clostridium perfringens; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D007082:Ileum / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000294:innervation; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; C039811:Clostridium perfringens epsilon-toxin; D002118:Calcium