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. 1980 Jan;68(1):99–106. doi: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1980.tb10704.x

Actions of 4-aminopyridine on vascular smooth muscle tissues of the guinea-pig

Yusuke Hara, Kenji Kitamura, Hirosi Kuriyama
PMCID: PMC2044094  PMID: 7357204

Abstract

1 Effects of 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) and procaine on the membrane and contractile properties of smooth muscle cells of the guinea-pig pulmonary artery and portal vein were observed.

2 The membrane potential and length constant of smooth muscle cells of the guinea-pig pulmonary artery were -53.2 mV and 1.2 mm, respectively, and those of the portal vein were -52.6 mV and 0.71 mm, respectively. The membrane was electrically quiescent in the pulmonary artery and it was electrically active in the portal vein.

3 Both 4-AP and procaine depolarized the membrane, increased the membrane resistance and suppressed the rectifying properties in both tissues. Both agents evoked a graded response from the muscle membranes of the pulmonary artery by outward current pulse. Procaine had a greater effect than 4-AP on the above membrane properties.

4 4-AP (10-5 M) produced contraction without depolarization of the membrane. The contraction evoked by 10-5 M 4-AP was completely suppressed but that evoked by 5 × 10-4 M 4-AP was only partly suppressed by phentolamine (10-7 M). However, the contraction evoked by procaine was not suppressed by phentolamine.

5 4-AP enhanced but procaine suppressed the amplitude of 118 mM [K]0-induced contraction.

6 The results suggest that 4-AP and procaine suppress K-conductance of the muscle membrane, and 4-AP but not procaine increases noradrenaline release from the nerve terminal. Presumably intracellular free Ca concentrations are also modified by these agents. The effects of 4-AP and procaine on the vascular muscle were compared with those on other excitable tissues.

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Selected References

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

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