The involvement of phospholipase A(2) in ethanol-induced gastric muscle contraction

To understand the underlying mechanism of ethanol in tonic contraction, the effect of ethanol on phospholipase A(2) and phospholipase C activities and the effects of phospholipase inhibitors on ethanol-induced contraction of cat gastric smooth muscle were tested. Circular muscle strips (2.0 x 0.2 cm ) obtained from the fundus of cat stomach were used to measure isometric co ntraction. Ethanol elicited tonic contraction and activated phospholipase A (2) activity in a dose-dependent manner. Phospholipase A(2) inhibitors, man oalide (0.1-10 muM) and oleyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (1-10 muM), signifi cantly inhibited ethanol-induced contraction. Furthermore, 342 mM ethanol-i nduced contraction was significantly inhibited by cyclooxygenase inhibitors , ibuprofen (10-100 muM) and indomethacin (10-100 muM), but not by lipoxyge nase inhibitors. On the other hand phospholipase C inhibitors had no effect on ethanol-induced contraction, indicating that phospholipase C is not inv olved in ethanol-induced contraction. It is suggested from the above result s that ethanol-induced contraction in cat gastric smooth muscle is, in part , mediated by phospholipase A(2) and cyclooxygenase pathways. (C) 2001 Else vier Science B.V. All rights reserved.