Nitric oxide is involved in the response of the isolated intact and epithelium-denuded rat trachea to the β₂ adrenergic receptor agonist salbutamol.
BACKGROUND
The involvement of the airway smooth muscle mediator nitric oxide (NO) in the actions of the β₂ agonist salbutamol (Sal), a well-known bronchodilator, is very poorly understood.


OBJECTIVE
To determine if endogenous NO release is a major factor in the Sal-induced relaxation of the carbachol- and electrical field-stimulated rat trachea and determine the role of the tracheal epithelium as the possible source of NO involved in these effects.


METHODS
Isolated carbachol- or electric field-stimulated pre-contracted in vitro male Sprague Dawley rat tracheas (with epithelium intact or denuded) were relaxed with incremental or discrete concentrations of Sal in the presence and absence of the NO synthesis inhibitor L-NAME.


RESULTS
Epithelium-denuded tracheas showed a reduced relaxation response to Sal. L-NAME (1 mM) similarly decreased the sensitivity of the rat tracheas to Sal in both epithelium-intact and -denuded conditions. In the presence of L-NAME, high concentrations of Sal induced an unexpectedly large relaxation response in carbachol-stimulated rat tracheas with both intact and denuded epithelium. Sal relaxation was also affected by L-NAME in electrical field-stimulated epithelium-intact and -denuded tracheas.


CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest that NO derived from sources other than the epithelium is an important mediator of the Sal-induced relaxation in rat tracheas.
Montalvo
F
F
Departments of Physiology and Medicine, Pulmonary Section, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, San Juan, PR 00936, USA.
Cantres-Fonseca
O
O
Santos
G
G
Vega
M
M
Torres
I
I
Carmona
J
J
Dexter
D
D
Santacana
G
G
D058666:Adrenergic beta-2 Receptor Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000420:Albuterol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D002217:Carbachol / Q000494:pharmacology; D018679:Cholinergic Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004848:Epithelium / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D009126:Muscle Relaxation / Q000187:drug effects; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000187:drug effects; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014132:Trachea / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000601:surgery
D058666:Adrenergic beta-2 Receptor Agonists; D018679:Cholinergic Agonists; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D002217:Carbachol; D000420:Albuterol; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester