Skip to main content
NCBI home page
The Journal of Physiology logoLink to The Journal of Physiology
. 1969 Dec;205(3):695–708. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1969.sp008991

Transmission from vasoconstrictor and vasodilator nerves to single smooth muscle cells of the guinea-pig uterine artery

Christopher Bell
PMCID: PMC1348577  PMID: 4311879

Abstract

1. Previous studies have shown that perivascular nerve stimulation of the uterine artery of the guinea-pig evokes an adrenergic constrictor response and a dilator response with two components. The first of these, only present during pregnancy, is cholinergic. The second is non-cholinergic and is present at all times. Intracellular recording from single smooth muscle cells in isolated arterial segments has now been used to investigate the transmission processes associated with these responses.

2. The mean resting membrane potential of the muscle cells was 60·7 mV in arteries from both virgin animals (range 50-68 mV) and from animals in late pregnancy (range 48-76 mV).

3. Low frequency perivascular stimulation evoked excitatory junction potentials (EJPs) which reached a maximum amplitude of about 5 mV, lasted about 900-1000 msec, and showed facilitation at frequencies of stimulation of 0·1 Hz or above and summation at frequencies of stimulation of 1·2 Hz or above.

4. These EJPs were abolished by exposure of the tissue to bretylium (2 × 10-6 g/ml.). It is therefore concluded that the EJPs were due to transmission from adrenergic nerves.

5. Perivascular stimulation at frequencies above 10 Hz evoked a depolarizing response which was often surmounted by a small (5 mV) local spike potential. Such depolarizing responses were associated only with localized contractions of the arterial muscle.

6. In the presence of low extracellular K+ concentrations, perivascular stimulation at frequencies above 10 Hz gave rise to a depolarizing response topped by an action potential of up to 50 mV amplitude, and more generalized contraction of the tissue than was seen in normal K+ solution.

7. After blockade of the adrenergic vasoconstrictor fibres, no response to perivascular stimulation was observed normally. However, following moderate depolarization of the membrane with noradrenaline, stimulation evoked a hyperpolarization of up to 6 mV in amplitude.

8. This response showed no discrete junction potentials, had a latency of up to 2000 msec and was only observed with stimulation at frequencies of 2 Hz or greater. The response was obtained in both pregnant and non-pregnant animals, and was unaffected by hyoscine, but was abolished by cinchocaine.

9. No changes in membrane potential attributable to transmission from cholinergic dilator nerves could be revealed in arteries from pregnant animals. Furthermore, high concentrations of acetylcholine had no polarizing effect on the muscle cells. It is suggested that the cholinergic dilator nerves may not act via changes in membrane potential.

Full text

PDF
695

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. BURNSTOCK G., HOLMAN M. E. Spontaneous potential at sympathetic nerve endings in smooth muscle. J Physiol. 1962 Mar;160:446–460. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1962.sp006858. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. BURNSTOCK G., HOLMAN M. E. The transmission of excitation from autonomic nerve to smooth muscle. J Physiol. 1961 Jan;155:115–133. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1961.sp006617. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bell C. Dual vasoconstrictor and vasodilator innervation of the uterine arterial supply in the guinea pig. Circ Res. 1968 Aug;23(2):279–289. doi: 10.1161/01.res.23.2.279. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Bell C. Effects of exogenous choline on adrenergic responses of the guinea-pig vas deferens. Br J Pharmacol Chemother. 1967 Jun;30(2):436–444. doi: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1967.tb02150.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Bell C. Fine structural localization of acetylcholinesterase at a cholinergic vasodilator nerve-arterial smooth muscle synapse. Circ Res. 1969 Jan;24(1):61–70. doi: 10.1161/01.res.24.1.61. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Bell C. Transmission from vasoconstrictor and vasodilator nerves to single arterial smooth muscle cells. J Physiol. 1969 Sep;204(1):19P–20P. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Bennett M. R., Merrillees N. C. An analysis of the transmission of excitation from autonomic nerves to smooth muscle. J Physiol. 1966 Aug;185(3):520–535. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1966.sp008000. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Bennett M. R., Rogers D. C. A study of the innervation of the taenia coli. J Cell Biol. 1967 Jun;33(3):573–596. doi: 10.1083/jcb.33.3.573. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Burnstock G., Holman M. E. Junction potentials at adrenergic synapses. Pharmacol Rev. 1966 Mar;18(1):481–493. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. De la Lande I. S., Rand M. J. A simple isolated nerve-blood vessel preparation. Aust J Exp Biol Med Sci. 1965 Oct;43(5):639–656. doi: 10.1038/icb.1965.48. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. FURCHGOTT R. F. The pharmacology of vascular smooth muscle. Pharmacol Rev. 1955 Jun;7(2):183–265. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Gerová M., Gero J., Dolezel S. Mechanisms of sympathetic regulation of arterial smooth muscle. Experientia. 1967 Aug 15;23(8):639–640. doi: 10.1007/BF02144172. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. HOLTON P., RAND M. J. Sympathetic vasodilatation in the rabbit ear. Br J Pharmacol Chemother. 1962 Dec;19:513–526. doi: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1962.tb01457.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. MCEWEN L. M. The effect on the isolated rabbit heart of vagal stimulation and its modification by cocaine, hexamethonium and ouabain. J Physiol. 1956 Mar 28;131(3):678–689. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1956.sp005493. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. SPEDEN R. N. ELECTRICAL ACTIVITY OF SINGLE SMOOTH MUSCLE CELLS OF THE MESENTERIC ARTERY PRODUCED BY SPLANCHNIC NERVE STIMULATION IN THE GUINEA PIG. Nature. 1964 Apr 11;202:193–194. doi: 10.1038/202193a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. SU C., BEVAN J. A., URSILLO R. C. ELECTRICAL QUIESCENCE OF PULMONARY ARTERY SMOOTH MUSCLE DURING SYMPATHOMIMETIC STIMULATION. Circ Res. 1964 Jul;15:26–27. doi: 10.1161/01.res.15.1.20. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Speden R. N. Adrenergic transmission in small arteries. Nature. 1967 Oct 21;216(5112):289–290. doi: 10.1038/216289a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Steedman W. M. Micro-electrode studies on mammalian vascular muscle. J Physiol. 1966 Oct;186(2):382–400. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1966.sp008041. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Journal of Physiology are provided here courtesy of The Physiological Society

RESOURCES