Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Tetraethylammonium-induced contraction of rabbit coronary artery

  • Originals
  • Published:
Heart and Vessels Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

The vasoactive effect of tetraethylammonium (TEA), a well-known K channel blocker, was tested on helical strips excised from the large epicardial coronary arteries of rabbit hearts. TEA (10 mM) induced transient tetanic contraction of greater amplitude as a result of summation of twitch responses. Occasionally, spontaneous periodic contractions occurred during prolonged exposure to 10 mM TEA. This TEA-induced contraction was abolished in Ca-free solution and suppressed by Ca-entry blockers: nitroglycerin, nicorandil, and isoproterenol, but not by phentolamine or atropine. In strips in which TEA did not induce remarkable contraction, subsequent addition of a subthreshold concentration of ergonovine, serotonin, acetylcholine, ouabain, K-rich solution, or alkalinization of the solution provoked remarkable contraction. These results are consistent with previous reports that TEA induced tetanic contraction as a result of summation of twitch responses due to spontaneous discharge of Ca-spikes in some arterial and tracheal smooth muscle. The results also support the idea that TEA-induced contraction of the rabbit coronary artery is mediated by the same mechanism, i.e., spontaneous Ca-spike discharge.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Belardinelli L, Harder D, Sperelakis N, Rubio R, Berne RM (1979) Cardiac glycoside stimulation of inward Ca++ current in vascular smooth muscle of canine coronary artery. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 209: 62–66

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Harder DR, Sperelakis N (1979) Action potentials induced in guinea pig arterial smooth muscle by tetraethylammonium. Am J Physiol 237: C75-C80

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Furukawa K, Itoh T, Kajiwara M, Kitamura K, Suzuki H, Itoh Y, Kuriyama H (1981) Vasodilating actions of 2-nicotinamidoethylnitrate on porcine and guinea-pig coronary arteries. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 218: 248–259

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Fujiwara S, Kuriyama H (1983) Effects of agents that modulate potassium permeability on smooth muscle cells of the guinea-pig basilar artery. Br J Pharmacol 79: 23–35

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Mekata F (1971) Electrophysiological studies of the smooth muscle cell membrane of the rabbit common carotid artery. J Gen Physiol 57: 738–751

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Keatinge WR (1975) Effect of local anaesthetics on electrical activity and voltage-dependent K permeability of arteries. INSERM 50: 177–182

    Google Scholar 

  7. Droogmans G, Raeymaekers L, Casteel SR (1977) Electro-and pharmacomechanical coupling in the smooth muscle cells of the rabbit ear artery. J Gen Physiol 70: 129–148

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Bolton TB (1979) Mechanism of action of transmitters and other substances on smooth muscle. Physiol Rev 59: 606–718

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Creed KE (1979) Functional diversity of smooth muscle. Br Med Bull 35: 243–247

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Keatinge WR (1979) Blood-vessels. Br Med Bull 35: 249–253

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Iwaki M, Mizobuchi S, Nakaya Y, Kawano K, Niki T, Mori H (1987) Tetraethylammonium induced coronary spasm in isolated perfused rabbit heart: a hypothesis for the mechanism of coronary spasm. Cardiovasc Res 21: 130–139

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Yokoyama M, Henry PD (1979) Sensitization of isolated canine coronary arteries to calcium ions after exposure to cholesterol. Circ Res 45: 479–486

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Norton JM, Gellai M, Detar R (1972) Effects of adenosine on isolated coronary vascular smooth muscle. Pflugers Arch 335: 279–286

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Kirkpatrick CT (1975) Excitation and contraction in bovine tracheal smooth muscle. J Physiol 244: 263–281

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Kroger EA, Stephens NL (1975) Effect of tetraethylammonium on tonic airway smooth muscle: initiation of phasic electrical activity. Am J Physiol 228: 633–636

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Haeusler G, Thorens S (1980) Effects of tetraethylam-monium chloride on contractile, membrane and cable properties of rabbit artery muscle. J Physiol 303: 203–224

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Johansson B, Somlyo AP (1980) Electrophysiology and excitation-contraction coupling. In: Bohr DF, Somlyo AP, Sparks HV (eds) The Cardiovascular System II. Vascular Smooth Muscle. Am Physiol Soc, Bethesda pp 301–323

    Google Scholar 

  18. Bolton TB (1979) Cholinergic mechanisms in smooth muscle. Br Med Bull 35: 275–283

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Kanmura Y, Itoh T, Suzuki H, Ito Y, Kuriyama H (1983) Nifedipine actions on smooth muscle cells of pig and rabbit skinned and intact coronary arteries. In: Hashimoto K, Kawai C (eds) Asian Pacific Adalat Symposium, Medical Tribune Inc., Tokyo pp 3–30

    Google Scholar 

  20. Harder DR, Abel PW, Hermsmeyer K (1981) Membrane electrical mechanism of basilar artery constriction and pial artery dilatation by norepinephrine. Circ Res 49: 1237–1242

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Harder DR (1980) Membrane electrical effects of histamine on vascular smooth muscle of canine coronary artery. Circ Res 46: 372–377

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Yokoyama M, Akita H, Mizutani T, Fukuzaki M, Watanabe Y (1983) Hyperreactivity of coronary arterial smooth muscles in response to ergonovine from rabbits with hereditary hyperlipidemia. Circ Res 53: 63–71

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Muller-Schweinitzer E (1980) The mechanism of ergonovine-induced coronary arterial spasm: in vitro studies on canine arteries. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol 2: 645–655

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Harder DR (1980) Comparison of electrical properties of middle cerebral and mesenteric artery in cat. Am J Physiol 239: C23-C26

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Ito Y, Kitamura K, Kuriyama H (1979) Effects of acetylcholine and catecholamines on the smooth muscle cell of the porcine coronary artery. J Physiol 294: 595–611

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Kitamura K, Kuriyama H (1979) Effects of acetylcholine on the smooth muscle cell of isolated main coronary artery of the guinea pig. J Physiol 293: 119–133

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Ito Y, Kitamura K, Kuriyama H (1980) Nitroglycerine and catecholamine actions on smooth muscle cells of the canine coronary artery. J Physiol 309: 171–183

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Wada Y, Goto M (1975) Effects of pH on the processes of excitation-contraction coupling of bullfrog atrium. Jpn J Physiol 25: 605–620

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. van Breemen C, Farinas BR, Gerba P, McNaughton ED (1972) Excitation-contraction coupling in rabbit aorta studied by the lanthanum method for measuring cellular calcium influx. Circ Res 30: 44–54

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Fleckenstein A (1983) Calcium antagonism in heart and smooth muscle. Wiley-Intersci. Pub., New York

    Google Scholar 

  31. Yasue H, Omoto S, Takizawa A, Nagao M, Nosaka K, Nakajima H (1981) Alkalosis-induced coronary vasoconstriction: effects of calcium, diltiazem, nitroglycerin, and propranolol. Am Heart J 102: 206–210

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Ross G, Stinson E, Schroeder J, Ginsburg R (1980) Spontaneous phasic activity of isolated human coronary arteries. Cardiovasc Res 14: 613–618

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Ginsburg R (1983) The isolated human epicardial coronary artery. Am J Cardiol 52: A61-A66

    Google Scholar 

  34. Godfraind T, Miller RS (1983) Specificity of action of Ca++ entry blockers: a comparison of their actions in rat arteries and in human coronary arteries. Circ Res 52 (Suppl I): I-81–I-91

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The 2nd Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, The University of Tokushima, 2-50 Kuramoto-cho, 770, Tokushima, Japan

    Masateru Iwaki, Yutaka Nakaya M.D., Kazuhiro Kawano, Shigeki Mizobuchi, Shuichiro Nakaya & Hiroyoshi Mori

Authors
  1. Masateru Iwaki
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Yutaka Nakaya M.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Kazuhiro Kawano
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Shigeki Mizobuchi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Shuichiro Nakaya
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Hiroyoshi Mori
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Iwaki, M., Nakaya, Y., Kawano, K. et al. Tetraethylammonium-induced contraction of rabbit coronary artery. Heart Vessels 4, 141–148 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02058426

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02058426

Key words

Search

Navigation