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Differences in time to peak carbachol-induced contractions between circular and longitudinal smooth muscles of mouse ileum

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Abstract

The muscular layer in the GI tract consists of an inner circular muscular layer and an outer longitudinal muscular layer. Acetylcholine (ACh) is the representative neurotransmitter that causes contractions in the gastrointestinal tracts of most animal species. There are many reports of muscarinic receptor-mediated contraction of longitudinal muscles, but few studies discuss circular muscles. The present study detailed the contractile response in the circular smooth muscles of the mouse ileum. We used small muscle strips (0.2 mm × 1 mm) and large muscle strips (4 × 4 mm) isolated from the circular and longitudinal muscle layers of the mouse ileum to compare contraction responses in circular and longitudinal smooth muscles. The time to peak contractile responses to carbamylcholine (CCh) were later in the small muscle strips (0.2 × 1 mm) of circular muscle (5.7 min) than longitudinal muscles (0.4 min). The time to peak contractile responses to CCh in the large muscle strips (4 × 4 mm) were also later in the circular muscle (3.1 min) than the longitudinal muscle (1.4 min). Furthermore, a muscarinic M2 receptor antagonist and gap junction inhibitor significantly delayed the time to peak contraction of the large muscle strips (4 × 4 mm) from the circular muscular layer. Our findings indicate that muscarinic M2 receptors in the circular muscular layer of mouse ileum exert a previously undocumented function in gut motility via the regulation of gap junctions.

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Abbreviations

ACh:

Acetylcholine

4-DAMP:

4-Diphenylacetoxy-N-methylpiperidine methiodide

L-NNA:

N-nitro-L-arginine

TTX:

Tetrodotoxin

CCh:

Carbamylcholine

CBX:

Carbenoxolone

MET:

Methoctramine

MR:

Muscarinic receptors

NO:

Nitric oxide

ICCs:

Interstitial cells of Cajal

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmacology, Division of Veterinary Science, Osaka Prefecture University Graduate School of Life and Environmental Science, Izumisano, Osaka, 598-8531, Japan

    Nanako Samezawa, Kazuhiro Nishiyama, Hidemitsu Nakajima & Tadayoshi Takeuchi

  2. Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmacology, Osaka Prefecture University, 1-58 Rinku-ohraikita, Izumisano, Osaka, 598-8531, Japan

    Yasu-Taka Azuma

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  1. Yasu-Taka Azuma
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  2. Nanako Samezawa
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  3. Kazuhiro Nishiyama
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  4. Hidemitsu Nakajima
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  5. Tadayoshi Takeuchi
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Correspondence to Yasu-Taka Azuma.

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Azuma, YT., Samezawa, N., Nishiyama, K. et al. Differences in time to peak carbachol-induced contractions between circular and longitudinal smooth muscles of mouse ileum. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch Pharmacol 389, 63–72 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00210-015-1177-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00210-015-1177-3

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