title: Effects of Dai-kenchu-to on spontaneous activity in the mouse small intestine.
abstract: The effects of Dai-kenchu-to (DKT), a Chinese medicine, on spontaneous activity of mouse small intestine were investigated. Experiments were carried out with tension recording and intracellular recording. DKT contracted mouse longitudinal smooth muscles in a dose dependent manner (0.1-10 mg/ml). Low concentration of DKT (0.1 mg/ml) did not contract the longitudinal muscles of mouse small intestine. DKT (0.1 mg/ml) inhibited contraction elicited by transmural nerve stimulation (TNS). DKT (1 mg/ml) evoked relaxation before contraction. The initial relaxation was abolished by Nomega-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA). DKT (10 mg/ml)-induced contraction had two components: a transient rapid contraction and a following slow contraction. Atropine inhibited DKT (1 mg/ml)-induced contraction to about 50% of control. In the presence of atropine, tetrodotoxin (TTX) inhibited the contraction elicited by DKT (1 mg/ml) to about 80%. DKT depolarized the membrane and decreased the amplitude of pacemaker potentials recorded from in situ myenteric interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC-MY) with no alteration to the frequency, duration and maximum rates of rise in the presence of nifedipine and TTX. The same results were obtained in slow waves recorded from circular smooth muscle cells. These results indicate that DKT evoked both contraction and relaxation by releasing acetylcholine, nitric oxide and other excitatory neurotransmitters in mouse small intestine. DKT had no effects on pacemaker mechanisms and electrical coupling between ICC-MY and smooth muscle cells in mouse small intestine. The results also suggest that DKT may contract smooth muscles by depolarizing the membrane directly.
authors: Department of Physiology, Nagoya City University Medical School, Mizuno-ku, Nagoya, Japan. y.kito@med.nagoya-cu.ac.jp
authors: Yoshihiko
authors: Y
authors: Kito
authors: Hikaru
authors: H
authors: Suzuki
mesh_terms: D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001285:Atropine / Q000494:pharmacology; D001683:Biological Clocks / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004594:Electrophysiology; D017615:Enteric Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D005769:Gastrointestinal Motility / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007537:Isometric Contraction / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology; D019335:Nitroarginine / Q000494:pharmacology; D005894:Panax; D010276:Parasympatholytics / Q000494:pharmacology; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013779:Tetrodotoxin / Q000494:pharmacology; D032106:Zanthoxylum; D030521:Zingiberaceae
chemical_list: D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D010276:Parasympatholytics; D010936:Plant Extracts; C121414:dai-kenchu-to; D019335:Nitroarginine; D013779:Tetrodotoxin; D001285:Atropine