Botulinum toxin A (BoNT-A) is a bacterial zinc-dependent endopeptidase that acts specifically on neuromuscular junctions. BoNT-A blocks the release of acetylcholine, thereby decreasing the ability of a spastic muscle to generate forceful contraction, which results in a temporal local weakness and the atrophy of targeted muscles. BoNT-A-induced temporal muscle weakness has been used to manage sk...

Endothelin-1 (ET) induces increases in intracellular Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)), Ca(2+) sensitization, and contraction of both bronchiole and pulmonary arteriole smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and may play an important role in the pathophysiology of asthma and pulmonary hypertension. However, because it remains unclear how changes in [Ca(2+)](i) and the Ca(2+) sensitivity regulate SMC contr...

Biliary, ureteric and intestinal colic are extremely common clinical conditions associated with smooth muscle spasm. In the present study, antispasmodic activity was carried out against acetylcholine (10-640 ng/ml)-induced contractions on guinea pig ileum. Acetylcholine (10-640 ng/ml) induced concentration-dependent contraction of smooth muscle. Diclofenac, in varying concentration (9.4 x 10(-5...

several reports have shown the various effects of grape (vitis vinifera) seed extract such as antioxidant, hypotensive, hypolipidemic and vasodilatory effects. the aim of present study was to investigate the effect of grape leaf hydroalcoholic extract on isolated rat tracheal contractions induced by kcl and acetylcholine. the trachea was removed from male adult sprague-dawley rat and placed in ...

Experiments were performed to determine whether acetylcholine affects the sympathetic activation of the cutaneous veins of the dog. Changes in isometric tension of saphenous vein strips were recorded at 37°C in an organ bath. Addition of acetylcholine at 1CH to 10~ g/ml did not affect basal tension, but larger doses (5 X 1CH to 5 X 1CH g/ml) caused a contraction of the strips which varied from ...

Introduction: Our previous studies showed that hydroalcoholic extract of leaf of Vitis vinifera relaxes the phenylephrine-induced contraction in rat thoracic aorta. This effect was dependent on endothelial integrity and NO-cGMP system. The vasorelaxant effect of extract was much lesser on KCl-induced contraction. We, therefore, postulated that K+ channels are involved. The main aim of the pr...

The effect of losartan on systolic blood pressure (SBP), function and structure of thoracic aorta and mesenteric artery was examined. Four-week-old Wistar rats, spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), and SHR treated with losartan (20 mg/kg/day for 5 weeks) were used. SBP was measured by the tail-cuff method weekly. Isometric contraction of aortal rings and neurogenic contractions of mesenteric ...

UNLABELLED Bisphenol-A (BPA), dichrolodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and vinclozolin were found able to induce abnormal uterine contraction. The mechanisms involved remains unclear. We hypothesized that the effect of these compounds were mediated via the uterotonin pathways. Therefore, in this study, effects of BPA, vinclozolin and DDT-only and in combination with uterotonins (PGF-2α, acetylchol...

Although leaf of Vitis vinifera (Vitaceae) has been used in traditional medicine to treat diarrhea, but no clinical and experimental studies have been conducted on its effects on the uterus. It has previously been reported that Vitis vinifera leaf extract reduces the ileum contractions induced by KCl and acetylcholine. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of Vitis vinifera...

Effect of mitragynine, an indole alkaloid isolated from Thai medicinal plant kratom (Mitrugym speciosu), on electrically stimulated contraction was studied in the guinea-pig ileum. Mitragynine (1 nM 3 PM) inhibited the ileum contraction elicited by electrical stimulation, and its pD2 value was 6.91 + 0.04 (n = 5). Morphine (1 nM 1 PM) also inhibited the electrically stimulated contraction in a ...