title: Inhibitory action of hydrogen sulfide on esophageal striated muscle motility in rats.
abstract: Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is recognized as a gaseous transmitter and has many functions including regulation of gastrointestinal motility. The aim of the present study was to clarify the effects of H2S on the motility of esophageal striated muscle in rats. An isolated segment of the rat esophagus was placed in an organ bath and mechanical responses were recorded using a force transducer. Electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve evoked contractile response in the esophageal segment. The vagally mediated contraction was inhibited by application of an H2S donor. The H2S donor did not affect the contraction induced by electrical field stimulation, which can excite the striated muscle directly, not via vagus nerves. These results show that H2S has an inhibitory effect on esophageal motility not by directly attenuating striated muscle contractility but by blocking vagal motor nerve activity and/or neuromuscular transmissions. The inhibitory actions of H2S were not affected by pretreatment with the transient receptor potential vanniloid-1 blocker, transient receptor potential ankyrin-1 blocker, nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, blockers of potassium channels, and ganglionic blocker. RT-PCR and Western blot analysis revealed the expression of H2S-producing enzymes in esophageal tissue, whereas application of inhibitors of H2S-producing enzymes did not change vagally evoked contractions in the esophageal striated muscle. These findings suggest that H2S, which might be produced in the esophageal tissue endogenously, can regulate the motor activity of esophageal striated muscle via a novel inhibitory neural pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Veterinary Science, Laboratory of Physiology, The United Graduate School of Veterinary Sciences, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1193, Japan. Electronic address: tshiina@gifu-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Takahiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shiina
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Veterinary Science, Laboratory of Physiology, The United Graduate School of Veterinary Sciences, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1193, Japan.
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shima
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Veterinary Science, Laboratory of Physiology, The United Graduate School of Veterinary Sciences, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1193, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Horii
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Veterinary Science, Laboratory of Physiology, The United Graduate School of Veterinary Sciences, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1193, Japan.
authors.forename: Kiyotada
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Naitou
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Veterinary Science, Laboratory of Physiology, The United Graduate School of Veterinary Sciences, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1193, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakamori
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Veterinary Science, Laboratory of Physiology, The United Graduate School of Veterinary Sciences, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1193, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sano
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Veterinary Science, Laboratory of Physiology, The United Graduate School of Veterinary Sciences, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1193, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasutake
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shimizu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004947:Esophagus / Q000187:drug effects*; D006862:Hydrogen Sulfide / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D054792:Muscle, Striated / Q000187:drug effects*; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000187:drug effects; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects; D050051:Transient Receptor Potential Channels / Q000187:drug effects; D014630:Vagus Nerve / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D015221:Potassium Channels; D050051:Transient Receptor Potential Channels; D006862:Hydrogen Sulfide
keywords: Esophagus; Gaseous transmitter; Hydrogen sulfide; Striated muscle; Vagus