A. Kanada et al., NEURONAL PATHWAY INVOLVED IN NITRIC OXIDE-MEDIATED DESCENDING RELAXATION IN RAT ILEUM, European journal of pharmacology, 250(1), 1993, pp. 59-66
The neuronal pathway that initiates nitric oxide-mediated descending r
elaxation in rat ileum was studied. The descending relaxation, which w
as suggested to be mediated by nitric oxide from our previous study, w
as selectively inhibited by 5-HT3 receptor antagonists. It was also in
hibited by a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist. Exogenous 5-
hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and a selective 5-HT3 receptor agonist induce
d dose-dependent relaxation of ileal circular muscle. 5-HT-induced rel
axation was selectively inhibited by 5-HT3 receptor antagonists. Nicot
ine also induced relaxation of the circular muscle, and its effect was
inhibited by 5-HT3 receptor antagonists. 5-HT and nicotine increased
the cyclic GMP content of the ileal tissue. Nitro-L-arginine inhibited
the increases induced by both compounds in the cyclic GMP content, an
d a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist also inhibited that induced by nicotine.
These results indicate that activation of a cholinergic neuron-5-HT n
euron pathway initiates nitric oxide-mediated descending relaxation in
rat ileum.