artemisia species, growing in almost all the northern hemisphere, is used in folk medicine of some countries as a remedy for hypertension. since some cardiovascular disorders including hypertension are accompanied with altered responsiveness of vascular alpha-adrenergic receptors, the effect of aqueous artemisia annua extract (100 and 200 mg kg-1) on a1-adrenoceptor agonist-induced contraction ...

introduction: nitric oxide is an important endogenous compound that acts as bronchodilator in trachea. electromagnetic fields (emf) affect nitric oxide level in different tissues. the interaction of nitrergic and cholinergic systems in airways has been reported. therefore, the present study was performed to evaluate the interaction of cholinergic and nitrergic systems in the trachea of rats tha...

Nitric oxide (NO) inhibits the release of acetylcholine and cholinergic contractions in the small intestine of several species, but no information is available about the mouse ileum. This study examines the effects of NO on the electrically-evoked release of [H]acetylcholine and smooth muscle contraction in myenteric plexus-longitudinal muscle preparations of wildtype mice, and of neuronal NOS ...

BACKGROUND Clinical concentrations of volatile anesthetics significantly influence contractile response to the sympathetic neurotransmitter norepinephrine although its precise mechanisms remain unclarified. In this study, we investigated its possible alterations in diabetes, as well as its underlying mechanisms. METHODS Isometric force was recorded in small mesenteric arteries from streptozot...

BACKGROUND Sodium metabisulphite (MBS) is known to induce bronchoconstriction in asthmatic patients. The effects of MBS on guinea pig airway smooth muscle and on neurally mediated contraction in vitro have been examined. METHODS Tracheal and bronchial airway segments were placed in oxygenated buffer solution and electrical field stimulation was performed in the presence of indomethacin (10(-5...

Nitric oxide (NO) inhibits the release of acetylcholine and cholinergic contractions in the small intestine of several species, but no information is available about the mouse ileum. This study examines the effects of NO on the electrically evoked release of [3H]acetylcholine and smooth muscle contraction in myenteric plexus-longitudinal muscle preparations of wild-type mice and of neuronal NO ...

We recently reported that phosphoinositide 3-kinase γ (PI3Kγ) directly regulates airway smooth muscle (ASM) contraction by modulating Ca(2+) oscillations. Because ASM contraction plays a critical role in airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) of asthma, the aim of the present study was to determine whether targeting PI3Kγ in ASM cells could suppress AHR in vitro and in vivo. Intranasal administration...

The neurotrophin brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) acts via tropomyosin-related kinase B receptor (TrkB) to regulate synapse maintenance and function in the neuromuscular system. The potentiation of acetylcholine (ACh) release by BDNF requires TrkB phosphorylation and Protein Kinase C (PKC) activation. BDNF is secreted in an activity-dependent manner but it is not known if pre- and/or po...

Muscarinic receptors play a major role in gallbladder function, although the muscarinic receptor(s) mediating smooth muscle contractility is unclear. This study compared smooth muscle contractile responses to carbamylcholine (10(-7)-10(-3) M) in isolated gallbladder from wild-type and M(2), M(3), and M(4) receptor knockout mice. Carbamylcholine-induced contraction in gallbladder was associated ...

A study was undertaken to determine the longevity of active muscarinic receptors on abattoir-sourced isolated ileum preparations from Gallus gallus domesticus, with a view to using the tissue as an experimental tool for functional response assays in laboratory experiments. A concentration-response curve for acetylcholine (1-256 μM) was plotted, in the presence and absence of 1, 3 and 6 nM atrop...