title: Effects of dopamine in isolated rat colon strips.
abstract: The aim of the present work is to investigate the effects of dopamine on isolated rat colon strips, and whether dopamine receptors are involved in these effects. Experiments on spontaneous motility and under potassium contraction were performed with dopamine and isoprenaline, both in the absence and presence of antagonists (distal colon strips, isotonic recording, Tyrode solution, 31 degrees C, 1 g of resting tension). At higher concentration (10(-4) mol/L), dopamine abolished spontaneous motility of the rat colon and this effect was not modified by antagonists. In isolated rat colon strips that were depolarized with potassium, dopamine produced concentration-dependent relaxation, without significant differences in reserpinized rats. Preincubation with sulpiride or Sch 23390, dopamine antagonists, did not modify the effects of dopamine. Propranolol shifted the concentration-response curve to the right, though in a noncompetitive manner. Prazosin and yohimbine (alpha-antagonists) did not modify the response to dopamine. Isoprenaline produced a concentration-dependent relaxant response to the KCl-induced contraction antagonized by propranolol, but not by prazosin, in a noncompetitive manner. In conclusion, dopamine exhibits a relaxant effect on the isolated rat colon, which is not mediated by specific dopamine receptors or alpha-adrenoceptors but it may be mediated by atypical beta-adrenoceptors.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Farmacología, Universidad de Valencia, Valencia, España.
authors.forename: María J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Aguilar
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Estañ
authors.forename: Inocencia
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Martínez-Mir
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martínez-Abad
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rubio
authors.forename: Francisco J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Morales-Olivas
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003106:Colon / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018491:Dopamine Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D018492:Dopamine Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005769:Gastrointestinal Motility / Q000187:drug effects; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D018491:Dopamine Agonists; D018492:Dopamine Antagonists; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine; D004298:Dopamine