title: Apamin- and nitric oxide-sensitive biphasic non-adrenergic non-cholinergic inhibitory junction potentials in the rat anococcygeus muscle.
abstract: 1. Changes in membrane potential following electrical field stimulation (EFS; 1, 2 and 5 pulses at 5 Hz, 0.5 ms duration, 60-80 V) of non-adrenergic non-cholinergic (NANC) inhibitory nerves in the rat isolated anococcygeus muscle were measured using standard intracellular recording techniques. Resting membrane potential ranged between -60 and -70 mV. 2. In the presence of guanethidine (30 microM), atropine (1 microM), propranolol (1 microM) and phentolamine (0.05 microM) to establish NANC conditions, the membrane potential depolarized to between -40 and -50 mV. Under these conditions, EFS caused pulse-dependent, tetrodotoxin (1 microM)-sensitive biphasic inhibitory junction potentials (IJPs) comprising a fast onset and time-to-peak phase followed by a second, slower phase that delayed repolarization. The duration of NANC IJPs ranged between 10 and 20 s. 3. Inhibition of small-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channels with apamin (0.1 microM) selectively blocked the first fast phase of the NANC IJP, whereas inhibitors of large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channels (charybdotoxin and iberiotoxin) and ATP-sensitive K+ channels (glibenclamide) all had no effect on NANC IJPs. 4. Both the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor N G-nitro-L-arginine (L-NOARG; 100 microM) and the inhibitor of soluble guanylate cyclase 1-H-oxodiazol-[1,2,4]-[4,3-a] quinoxaline-1-one (ODQ; 10 microM) had no effect on the first fast phase of the NANC IJP. Each treatment, however, markedly inhibited the slow phase with the duration of the IJP reduced to between 1 and 3 s. The L-NOARG-resistant fast phase of the NANC IJP was almost abolished by the subsequent addition of apamin (0.1 microM). 5. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates unequivocal NANC nerve-mediated biphasic IJPs in the rat isolated anococcygeus. We propose that nitric oxide (NO), via activation of cGMP-dependent K+ channels, and a non-NO inhibitory factor which activates apamin-sensitive K+ channels contribute to NANC nerve-evoked IJPs in the rat anococcygeus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Triradiate Building, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Selemidis
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ziogas
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Cocks
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001030:Apamin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000187:drug effects / Q000294:innervation* / Q000502:physiology; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000187:drug effects*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; D019335:Nitroarginine / Q000494:pharmacology; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D019335:Nitroarginine; D001030:Apamin; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; C496316:Nos3 protein, rat