Summary
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1.
Simultaneous recordings of both the transmembrane action potential and the contractions were made in isolated electrically driven papillary muscles of the guinea pig in order to compare the effects of 6-methoxyindole (6-MOI), 3-methylindole (3-MI) and 5-methylindole (5-MI) with those of noradrenaline (1.2 · 10−6 M), nicotine (2 · 10−5 M), and tyramine (5.8 · 10−6 M).
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2.
Noradrenaline, nicotine, tyramine and 6-MOI (5.4 · 10−4 M) enhanced the contractility whilst 3-MI (3.8 and 7.8 · 10−4 M) and 5-MI (1.9 and 3.8 · 10−4 M) had only irregular effects. The active compounds shortened the time-to-peak tension and increased the rate of relaxation.
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3.
The duration of the action potential was prolonged by noradrenaline, nicotine, and tyramine, but shortened by 3-MI, 5-MI, and 6-MOI.
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4.
The results showed that the effect of drugs on the action potential are not necessarily linked to those on contractility.
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Brasch, H., Iven, H. & Zetler, G. Effects of simple indoles, noradrenaline, nicotine, and tyramine on action potential and contractility of the isolated guinea-pig papillary muscle. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch. Pharmacol. 299, 259–265 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00500318
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00500318