Simon, Oswald R; Powell, N; Davis, P; Gossell, M.
Author Affiliation, Ana.
Basic Medical Sciences (Anatomy, Biochemistry, Physiology)
Evidence that guanylate cyclase is involved in modulating the resting tension and neurally-induced contraction of the guinea pig tracheal muscle.
West Indian Medical Journal
Date of Publication
Electrical field stimulation of guinea-pig tracheal muscle strips produced a frequency-dependent biphasic response consisting of an initial cholinergic contraction followed by relaxation. Both phases of the response were of neural origin. In the presence of methylene blue, a guanylate cyclase inhibitor, the resting tension and the contraction were increased, but the accompanying relaxation was inhibited. However, in the presence of sodium nitroprusside, a guanylate cyclase activator, the resting tension was reduced and the contraction was inhibited, but the relaxation was prolonged and increased. Similarly, in the presence of either 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine, which promotes cyclic guanosine monophospate (cGMP) accumulation, or 8-bromo-cGMP, an analogue of cGMP, the resting tension was reduced and the contraction was inhibited, while the relaxation was prolonged and increased. These results show that guanylate cyclase is involved in modulating the resting tension and the neurally-induced contraction of guinea-pig tracheal muscle.....