Figure 5.
Cultured myoepithelial cells respond to multiple agonists to cause contraction. Cultured myoepithelial cells from α-smooth muscle actin–green fluorescent protein mice were stimulated with the cholinergic agonist carbachol (Cch, 10−3 mol/L), vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP, 10−8 mol/L), the α1-adrenergic agonist phenylephrine (Ph, 10−5 mol/L), ATP (10−5 mol/L), UTP (10−5 mol/L), and potassium chloride (40 mmol/L). Cells are shown before addition of the agonist (t = 0; left column) or 30 minutes after addition of agonist (t = 30 min; right column). Arrows point at the same cells at times 0 and 30 minutes. n = 3 independent experiments performed in duplicate (for each duplicate, images were taken from 3 different areas). Original magnification, ×200.