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. 1987 Apr;84(7):2092–2096. doi: 10.1073/pnas.84.7.2092

Acetylcholine increases voltage-activated Ca2+ current in freshly dissociated smooth muscle cells.

L H Clapp, M B Vivaudou, J V Walsh Jr, J J Singer
PMCID: PMC304591  PMID: 2436224

Abstract

The regulation of voltage-activated Ca2+ current by acetylcholine was studied in single freshly dissociated smooth muscle cells from the stomach of the toad Bufo marinus by using the tight-seal whole-cell recording technique. Ca2+ currents were elicited by positive-going command pulses from a holding level near -80 mV in the presence of internal Cs+ to block outward K+ currents. Ca2+ current was greatest in magnitude at command potentials near 10 mV. At such command potentials, acetylcholine increased the magnitude of the inward current and slowed its decay. The effects of acetylcholine were seen in the absence of external Na+ or with low Cl- (aspartate replacement) in the bathing solution and could be mimicked by muscarine. The peak of the current-voltage relationship for the Ca2+ current was not discernibly shifted along the voltage axis by acetylcholine. These results demonstrate that activation of muscarinic receptors not only suppresses a K+ current (M-current), as we have previously demonstrated [Sims, S. M., Singer, J. J. & Walsh, J. V., Jr. (1985) J. Physiol. (London) 367, 503-529], but also increases the magnitude and slows the decay of Ca2+ current.

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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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