title: PACAP-38 activates parasympathetic nerves in isolated, blood-perfused dog atria.
abstract: A pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) activates PACAP and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) receptors. We investigated the effects of PACAP-38 on the sinus rate and atrial contractile force in isolated, blood-perfused dog heart preparations and the stimulation by PACAP-38 of the parasympathetic nerve fibers. PACAP-38 (3-1000 pmol) caused positive and/or negative chronotropic responses and it dose dependently increased atrial and ventricular contractile force. The positive cardiac responses to PACAP-38 unlike those to VIP were much less than the positive responses to norepinephrine. Atropine inhibited the negative chronotropic responses to PACAP-38 and augmented the positive chronotropic and inotropic responses. Physostigmine potentiated the negative cardiac responses to PACAP-38 and acetylcholine. After physostigmine treatment, additionally, tetrodotoxin blocked the negative cardiac responses to PACAP-38 and intracardiac parasympathetic nerve stimulation. Propranolol did not inhibit the positive cardiac responses to PACAP-38 in atropine-treated atria. PACAP-(6-38) (1 and 3 nmol), an antagonist of PACAP-38, did not affect the cardiac responses to 100 pmol of PACAP-38. These results suggest that (1) PACAP-38 directly increases sinus rate and atrial contractile force and (2) PACAP-38 activates parasympathetic nerves and causes negative chronotropic and inotropic responses in the dog heart.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Nagano, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yonezawa
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Furukawa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lakhe
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nagashima
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hirose
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chiba
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004285:Dogs; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000187:drug effects*; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010275:Parasympathetic Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects*; D051219:Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide
chemical_list: D009479:Neuropeptides; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D051219:Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide