Skip to main content
NCBI home page
The Journal of Physiology logoLink to The Journal of Physiology
. 1967 Apr;189(2):299–315. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1967.sp008169

Properties of the inhibitory potential of smooth muscle as observed in the response to field stimulation of the guinea-pig taenia coli

Edith Bülbring, T Tomita
PMCID: PMC1396064  PMID: 6034115

Abstract

1. The inhibitory potential evoked by field stimulation of the guineapig taenia coli was studied in hypertonic solution in which the spontaneous electrical and mechanical activity was slowed or abolished.

2. There was no direct correlation between the inhibitory potential and the muscle membrane polarization in response to the stimulating current. The chronaxie for the inhibitory potential was less than 1 msec and that for the muscle spike 20-30 msec.

3. The inhibitory potential decreased in size along the tissue when one end of the tissue was stimulated, but its spatial decay was slower than that of the electrotonic potential in the muscle bundle.

4. Tetrodotoxin (5 × 10-7 g/ml.) abolished the inhibitory potential without affecting the electrical properties of the muscle membrane. It was concluded that the inhibitory potential was the result of stimulation of intrinsic inhibitory nerves.

5. The following properties of the intrinsic nerve fibres were deduced from the experimental results: The length of the nerve fibres is probably only a few mm and the space constant of the order of 0·1 mm. No repetitive firing is produced by a long current pulse. The absolute refractory period is 3-4 msec.

Full text

PDF
299

Selected References

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

  1. BULBRING E., BURNSTOCK G., HOLMAN M. E. Excitation and conduction in the smooth muscle of the isolated taenia coli of the guinea-pig. J Physiol. 1958 Aug 6;142(3):420–437. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1958.sp006027. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. BULBRING E. Correlation between membrane potential, spike discharge and tension in smooth muscle. J Physiol. 1955 Apr 28;128(1):200–221. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1955.sp005299. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. BURNSTOCK G., CAMPBELL G., BENNETT M., HOLMAN M. E. INHIBITION OF THE SMOOTH MUSCLE ON THE TAENIA COLI. Nature. 1963 Nov 9;200:581–582. doi: 10.1038/200581a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. BURNSTOCK G., CAMPBELL G., BENNETT M., HOLMAN M. E. INNERVATION OF THE GUINEA-PIG TAENIA COLI: ARE THERE INTRINSIC INHIBITORY NERVES WHICH ARE DISTINCT FROM SYMPATHETIC NERVES? Int J Neuropharmacol. 1964 May;3:163–166. doi: 10.1016/0028-3908(64)90003-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. BURNSTOCK G., HOLMAN M. E., KURIYAMA H. FACILITATION OF TRANSMISSION FROM AUTONOMIC NERVE TO SMOOTH MUSCLE OF GUINEA-PIG VAS DEFERENS. J Physiol. 1964 Jul;172:31–49. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1964.sp007401. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Bennett M. R., Burnstock G., Holman M. Transmission from intramural inhibitory nerves to the smooth muscle of the guinea-pig taenia coli. J Physiol. 1966 Feb;182(3):541–558. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1966.sp007836. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. KURIYAMA H. ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE MOTOR INNERVATION OF THE SMOOTH MUSCLE CELLS IN THE GUINEA-PIG VAS DEFERENS. J Physiol. 1963 Nov;169:213–228. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1963.sp007251. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. MERRILLEES N. C., BURNSTOCK G., HOLMAN M. E. CORRELATION OF FINE STRUCTURE AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE INNERVATION OF SMOOTH MUSCLE IN THE GUINEA PIG VAS DEFERENS. J Cell Biol. 1963 Dec;19:529–550. doi: 10.1083/jcb.19.3.529. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. MOSHER H. S., FUHRMAN F. A., BUCHWALD H. D., FISCHER H. G. TARICHATOXIN--TETRODOTOXIN: A POTENT NEUROTOXIN. Science. 1964 May 29;144(3622):1100–1110. doi: 10.1126/science.144.3622.1100. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. NARAHASHI T., DEGUCHI T., URAKAWA N., OHKUBO Y. Stabilization and rectification of muscle fiber membrane by tetrodotoxin. Am J Physiol. 1960 May;198:934–938. doi: 10.1152/ajplegacy.1960.198.5.934. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. NARAHASHI T., MOORE J. W., SCOTT W. R. TETRODOTOXIN BLOCKAGE OF SODIUM CONDUCTANCE INCREASE IN LOBSTER GIANT AXONS. J Gen Physiol. 1964 May;47:965–974. doi: 10.1085/jgp.47.5.965. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Nakamura Y., Nakajima S., Grundfest H. The action of tetrodotoxin on electrogenic components of squid giant axons. J Gen Physiol. 1965 Jul;48(6):975–996. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Nonomura Y., Hotta Y., Ohashi H. Tetrodotoxin and manganese ions: effects on electrical activity and tension in taenia coli of guinea pig. Science. 1966 Apr 1;152(3718):97–98. doi: 10.1126/science.152.3718.97. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Ogura Y., Mori Y., Watanabe Y. Inhibition of the release of acetylcholine from isolated guinea-pig ileum by crystalline tetrodotoxin. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 1966 Dec;154(3):456–462. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Rushton W. A. The effect upon the threshold for nervous excitation of the length of nerve exposed, and the angle between current and nerve. J Physiol. 1927 Sep 9;63(4):357–377. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1927.sp002409. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. THAEMERT J. C. The ultrastructure and disposition of vesiculated nerve processes in smooth muscle. J Cell Biol. 1963 Feb;16:361–377. doi: 10.1083/jcb.16.2.361. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Tomita T. Electrical responses of smooth muscle to external stimulation in hypertonic solution. J Physiol. 1966 Mar;183(2):450–468. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1966.sp007876. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Tsuda K., Ikuma S., Kawamura M., Tachikawa R., Sakai K. Tetrodotoxin. VII. On the structure of tetrodotoxin and its derivatives. Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo) 1964 Nov;12(11):1357–1374. doi: 10.1248/cpb.12.1357. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES