Skip to main content
NCBI home page
British Journal of Pharmacology logoLink to British Journal of Pharmacology
. 1970 Jan;38(1):12–19. doi: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1970.tb10332.x

The effects of beta adrenoceptor blocking agents on the membrane potential and spike generation in the smooth muscle of guinea-pig taenia coli

W G Davis
PMCID: PMC1702634  PMID: 4391730

Abstract

1. The measurement of changes in spike generation and membrane resistance in the guinea-pig taenia coli, using the sucrose gap extracellular recording method, has been shown to be a useful way to demonstrate the intrinsic sympathomimetic activity of the beta adrenoceptor blocking agents.

2. Pronethalol, INPEA, MJ 1999, MJ 1998 and dichloroisoprenaline abolish the spontaneous spike discharge and produce a hyperpolarization of the cell membrane. These sympathomimetic effects were blocked by a mixture of alpha (phentolamine) and beta (propranolol) adrenoceptor blocking agents.

3. Propranolol reduced the frequency of the spontaneous spike potentials but did not raise the resting membrane potential of the taenia coli.

4. When the metabolism of the taenia coli was depressed, all the beta adrenoceptor blocking agents produced a depolarization of the cell membrane and sometimes initiated spike potential activity. The depolarization of the cell membrane was antagonized by superfusing the taenia coli with Krebs solution containing phentolamine. The effects of the beta adrenoceptor blocking agents were not antagonized by the presence of atropine.

5. Experiments performed on the reserpinized taenia coli preparation show that depletion of the stores of catecholamines did not modify the sympathomimetic actions of the beta adrenoceptor blocking agents on the normal or metabolically depressed taenia coli preparation. The sympathomimetic action of the beta blocking agents does not appear to be mediated through the release of catecholamines within the taenia coli.

Full text

PDF
12

Selected References

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

  1. BULBRING E. Measurements of oxygen consumption in smooth muscle. J Physiol. 1953 Oct;122(1):111–134. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1953.sp004983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. BURNSTOCK G. The action of adrenaline on excitability and membrane potential in the taenia coli of the guinea-pig and the effect of DNP on this action and on the action of acetylcholine. J Physiol. 1958 Aug 29;143(1):183–194. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1958.sp006052. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. BURNSTOCK G. The effects of acetylcholine on membrane potential, spike frequency, conduction velocity and excitability in the taenia coli of the guinea-pig. J Physiol. 1958 Aug 29;143(1):165–182. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1958.sp006051. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. CROUT J. R., MUSKUS A. J., TRENDELENBURG U. Effect of tyramine on isolated guinea-pig atria in relation to their noradrenaline stores. Br J Pharmacol Chemother. 1962 Jun;18:600–611. doi: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1962.tb01179.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. DONALD D. E., KVALE J., SHEPHERD J. T. THE EFFECT OF AN ADRENERGIC BETA-RECEPTOR ANTAGONIST ON THE CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM OF THE DOG. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 1964 Mar;143:344–349. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. FLEMING W. W., HAWKINS D. F. The actions of dichloroisoproterenol in the dog heart-lung preparation and the isolated guinea-pig atrium. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 1960 May;129:1–10. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. GILL E. W., WILLIAMS E. M. LOCAL ANAESTHETIC ACTIVITY OF THE BETA-RECEPTOR ANTAGONIST, PRONETHALOL. Nature. 1964 Jan 11;201:199–199. doi: 10.1038/201199a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Hollands B. C., Vanov S. Localization of catechol amines in visceral organs and ganglia of the rat, guinea-pig and rabbit. Br J Pharmacol Chemother. 1965 Oct;25(2):307–316. doi: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1965.tb02051.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. MORALES AGUILERA A., VAUGHANWILLIAMS E. M. THE EFFECTS ON CARDIAC MUSCLE OF BETA-RECEPTOR ANTAGONISTS IN RELATION TO THEIR ACTIVITY AS LOCAL ANAESTHETICS. Br J Pharmacol Chemother. 1965 Apr;24:332–338. doi: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1965.tb01719.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. MORAN N. C., PERKINS M. E. Adrenergic blockade of the mammalian heart by a dichloro analogue of isoproterenol. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 1958 Nov;124(3):223–237. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Meester W. D., Hardman H. F., Barboriak J. J. Evaluation of various adrenergic blocking agents in isolated rabbit and turtle hearts. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 1965 Oct;150(1):34–40. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Payton B. W., Shand D. G. Actions of gallamine and tetraethylammonium at the frog neuromuscular junction. Br J Pharmacol Chemother. 1966 Oct;28(1):23–34. doi: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1966.tb01870.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Shanks R. G. The effect of propranolol on the cardiovascular responses to isoprenaline, adrenaline and noradrenaline in the anaesthetized dog. Br J Pharmacol Chemother. 1966 Feb;26(2):322–333. doi: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1966.tb01911.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Stanton H. C., Kirchgessner T., Parmenter K. Cardiovascular pharmacology of two new beta-adrenergic receptor antagonists. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 1965 Aug;149(2):174–182. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Journal of Pharmacology are provided here courtesy of The British Pharmacological Society

RESOURCES