Skip to main content
NCBI home page
British Journal of Pharmacology logoLink to British Journal of Pharmacology
. 1986 Apr;87(4):763–770. doi: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1986.tb14595.x

The effect of oxytocin on contractile responses and 45Ca movements in rat isolated aortic strips.

S Barrigón, J Tamargo
PMCID: PMC1916809  PMID: 3708209

Abstract

The effects of oxytocin (Oxt) on contractile responses and transmembrane Ca fluxes were studied in rat isolated aortic strips. Oxt (50-1000 mu ml-1) induced a dose-dependent contractile response and spontaneous myogenic activity. The Oxt-induced contractile response was not inhibited by pretreatment of aortic strips with phentolamine plus practolol, atropine, diphenhydramine plus cimetidine or indomethacin, but was significantly reduced by verapamil or deamino-ethyl-Oxt. The dose-response curve for Oxt was shifted upwards and to the left by increasing the Ca concentration of the medium from 1.8 to 4 mM. Oxt also shifted upwards the dose-response curve to Ca (1 to 5 mM) in aortic strips incubated in K depolarizing Ca-free media. Oxt increased the La3+-resistant 45Ca content without altering 45Ca efflux. The present results suggest that in rat isolated aortic strips Oxt produces a contractile response which, as previously found with other neurotransmitters, can be partly attributed to an increase of Ca influx through receptor-operated channels and to the release of Ca from intracellular stores.

Full text

PDF
763

Selected References

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

  1. Altura B. M., Altura B. T. Actions of vasopressin, oxytocin, and synthetic analogs on vascular smooth muscle. Fed Proc. 1984 Jan;43(1):80–86. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Altura B. M., Carella A., Altura B. T. Acetaldehyde on vascular smooth muscle: possible role in vasodilator action of ethanol. Eur J Pharmacol. 1978 Nov 1;52(1):73–83. doi: 10.1016/0014-2999(78)90023-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Altura B. M., Hershey S. G. Pharmacology of neurohypophyseal hormones and their synthetic analogues in the terminal vascular bed. Structure-activity relationships. Angiology. 1967 Jul;18(7):428–439. doi: 10.1177/000331976701800703. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Altura B. M. Magnesium-neurohypophyseal hormone interactions in contraction of vascular smooth muscle. Am J Physiol. 1975 May;228(5):1615–1620. doi: 10.1152/ajplegacy.1975.228.5.1615. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Altura B. M., Malaviya D., Reich C. F., Orkin L. R. Effects of vasoactive agents on isolated human umbilical arteries and veins. Am J Physiol. 1972 Feb;222(2):345–355. doi: 10.1152/ajplegacy.1972.222.2.345. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Barrigon S., Tejerina T., Delgado C., Tamargo J. Effects of chlorbutol on 45Ca movements and contractile responses of rat aorta and its relevance to the actions of Syntocinon. J Pharm Pharmacol. 1984 Aug;36(8):521–526. doi: 10.1111/j.2042-7158.1984.tb04443.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Barrigón S., Delgado C., Tejerina T., Tamargo J. Effects of bunaphtine on 45Ca movements in rat aortic smooth muscle. Experientia. 1983 Jul 15;39(7):761–763. doi: 10.1007/BF01990313. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Barrigón S., Diez J. J., Tamargo J., Tejerina M. T. Effects of pincainide on contractile responses and 45Ca movements in rat isolated vascular smooth muscle. Eur J Pharmacol. 1985 May 8;111(2):227–233. doi: 10.1016/0014-2999(85)90760-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Bolton T. B. Mechanisms of action of transmitters and other substances on smooth muscle. Physiol Rev. 1979 Jul;59(3):606–718. doi: 10.1152/physrev.1979.59.3.606. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Casteels R. Electro- and pharmacomechanical coupling in vascular smooth muscle. Chest. 1980 Jul;78(1 Suppl):150–156. doi: 10.1378/chest.78.1_supplement.150. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Cauvin C., Loutzenhiser R., Van Breemen C. Mechanisms of calcium antagonist-induced vasodilation. Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol. 1983;23:373–396. doi: 10.1146/annurev.pa.23.040183.002105. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Deth R., van Breemen C. Relative contributions of Ca2+ influx and cellular Ca2+ release during drug induced activation of the rabbit aorta. Pflugers Arch. 1974 Apr 4;348(1):13–22. doi: 10.1007/BF00587735. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. FURCHGOTT R. F., BHADRAKOM S. Reactions of strips of rabbit aorta to epinephrine, isopropylarterenol, sodium nitrite and other drugs. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 1953 Jun;108(2):129–143. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Fleckenstein A. Specific pharmacology of calcium in myocardium, cardiac pacemakers, and vascular smooth muscle. Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol. 1977;17:149–166. doi: 10.1146/annurev.pa.17.040177.001053. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Godfraind T. Calcium exchange in vascular smooth muscle, action of noradrenaline and lanthanum. J Physiol. 1976 Aug;260(1):21–35. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1976.sp011501. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Golenhofen K., Lammel E. Selective suppression of some components of spontaneous activity in various types of smooth muscle by iproveratril (Verapamil). Pflugers Arch. 1972;331(3):233–243. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. KATZ R. L. ANTIARRHYTHMIC AND CARDIOVASCULAR EFFECTS OF SYNTHETIC OXYTOCIN. Anesthesiology. 1964 Sep-Oct;25:653–661. doi: 10.1097/00000542-196409000-00013. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Kleinhaus A. L., Kao C. Y. Electrophysiological actions of oxytocin on the rabbit myometrium. J Gen Physiol. 1969 Jun;53(6):758–780. doi: 10.1085/jgp.53.6.758. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Krejcí I., Kupková B., Vávra I., Rudinger J. Actions of neurohypophysial hormone analogues on perfused isolated rat caudal artery. Eur J Pharmacol. 1970;13(1):65–75. doi: 10.1016/0014-2999(70)90184-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. LLOYD S. Changes in the vascular responses of the rat during pregnancy. J Physiol. 1959 Dec;149:586–592. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1959.sp006362. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Loutzenhiser R., van Breemen C. The influence of receptor occupation on Ca++ influx-mediated vascular smooth muscle contraction. Circ Res. 1983 Feb;52(2 Pt 2):I97–103. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Melin P., Vilhardt H., Lindeberg G., Larsson L. E., Akerlund M. Inhibitory effect of O-alkylated analogues of oxytocin and vasopressin on human and rat myometrial activity. J Endocrinol. 1981 Feb;88(2):173–180. doi: 10.1677/joe.0.0880173. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. NAKANO J., FISHER R. D. STUDIES ON THE CARDIOVASCULAR EFFECTS OF SYNTHETIC OXYTOCIN. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 1963 Nov;142:206–214. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Somlyo A. P., Somlyo A. V., Woo C. Y. Neurohypophysial peptide interaction with magnesium in avian vascular smooth muscle. J Physiol. 1967 Oct;192(3):657–668. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1967.sp008323. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Somlyo A. V., Somlyo A. P. Electromechanical and pharmacomechanical coupling in vascular smooth muscle. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 1968 Jan;159(1):129–145. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Vane J. R. Inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis as a mechanism of action for aspirin-like drugs. Nat New Biol. 1971 Jun 23;231(25):232–235. doi: 10.1038/newbio231232a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. WALASZEK E. J., HUGGINS C. G., SMITH C. M. Drugs that modify actions of pharmacologically active polypeptides. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1963 Feb 4;104:281–289. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1963.tb17673.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES