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Triton X-100 (TX-100) is a nonionic detergent frequently used at millimolar concentrations to disrupt cell membranes and solubilize proteins. At low micromolar concentrations, TX-100 has been reported to inhibit the function of potassium channels. Here, we have used electrophysiological and functional techniques to examine the effects of TX-100 on another class of ion channels, L-type voltage-operated calcium channels (VOCCs). TX-100 (30 nmol·L(-1) to 3 μmol·L(-1)) caused reversible concentration-dependent inhibition of recombinant L-type VOCC (CaV 1.2) currents and of native L-type VOCC currents recorded from rat vascular smooth muscle cells and cardiac myocytes, and murine and human pancreatic β-cells. In functional studies, TX-100 (165 nmol·L(-1) to 3.4 μmol·L(-1)) caused concentration-dependent relaxation of rat isolated mesenteric resistance arteries prestimulated with phenylephrine or KCl. This effect was independent of the endothelium. TX-100 (1.6 μmol·L(-1)) inhibited depolarization-induced exocytosis in both murine and human isolated pancreatic β-cells. These data indicate that at concentrations within the nanomolar to low micromolar range, TX-100 significantly inhibits L-type VOCC activity in a number of cell types, an effect paralleled by inhibition of cell functions dependent upon activation of these channels. This inhibition occurs at concentrations below those used to solubilize proteins and may compromise the use of solutions containing TX-100 in bioassays.

The endocrine pancreas is critically important in the regulation of energy metabolism, with defective insulin secretion from pancreatic islet β-cells a major contributing factor to the development of type 2 diabetes. Small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) proteins have been demonstrated to covalently modify a wide range of target proteins, mediating a broad range of cellular processes. While the effects of SUMOylation on β-cell gene transcription have been previously reviewed, recent reports indicate roles for SUMO outside of the nucleus. In this review we shall focus on the reported non-nuclear roles of SUMOylation in the regulation of β-cells, including SUMOylation as a novel signaling pathway in the acute regulation of insulin secretion.

The hypothesis that acid, emptied intermittently from the stomach during fasting, might initiate the duodenal phase of the migrating motor complex was tested in normal human subjects. In addition, the relationship between plasma motilin concentrations and the initiation of migrating motor complexes was examined. Migrating complexes occurred spontaneously in the absence of acid in the duodenal bulb and in the presence of duodenal bulb neutralization with sodium bicarbonate. Thus duodenal bulb acidification is not necessary for initiation of the duodenal phase of the migrating motor complexes. Furthermore, cyclical increases in plasma motilin concentrations were not closely correlated with the initiation of the gastric phase of maximal activity of the migrating motor complexes. However, motilin concentrations were decreased significantly following onset of the duodenal phase III. We conclude that neither duodenal acidification nor increases in motilin concentration are necessary to initiate migrating motor complexes in man.

Neurotensin given intra-arterially in bolus doses to the canine small intestine inhibited field-stimulated, atropine-sensitive contractile responses in the duodenum (mean effective dose (ED50) = 3.2 X 10(-11) mol) and in the ileum (mean ED50 = 2.1 X 10(-11) mol). Norepinephrine (ED50 = 3 X 10(-9) mol) also inhibited these contractile responses. Phenylephrine (ED50 = 1.3 X 10(-8) mol) was one-fourth as potent as norepinephrine and clonidine (ED50 = 8 X 10(-10) mol) was at least as potent as norepinephrine, while isoproterenol (up to 8 X 10(-8) mol) failed to show any inhibitory effects. Phentolamine (2 mg/kg) increased significantly the ED50 of neurotensin and norepinephrine. Prazosin (2 mg/kg) increased significantly the ED50 of norepinephrine in the duodenum but had no effect on the ED50 of neurotensin. Yohimbine (2 mg/kg) increased the ED50 values of neurotensin and adrenergic agonists. Both neurotensin and norepinephrine in doses causing maximal inhibition of field-stimulated responses decreased (by 40 to 60%) contractile responses to 9 X 10(-10) mol (approximately the intra-arterial ED50 dose) of acetylcholine. Reserpine pretreatment markedly diminished the inhibition of spontaneous or field-stimulated phasic contractions by distention or field stimulation of a distal site. Reserpine also diminished the ED50 for neurotensin from 1 X 10(-11) to 2 X 10(-11) mol (p less than 0.02), but did not abolish neurotensin's inhibitory effect. Tetrodotoxin (10-15 micrograms, intra-arterially) increased the dose of neurotensin required to inhibit spontaneous activity in the ileum but after this toxin, as after adrenergic antagonists or reserpine, maximal inhibition could still be obtained. These results suggested that neurotensin inhibited contractile activity of canine intestine by acting on neural receptors to release norepinephrine. Norepinephrine activated primarily alpha 2-adrenoceptors and ultimately inhibited acetylcholine release. Neurotensin also inhibited contractions by activating a second, less sensitive receptor on smooth muscle.

We used acute anesthetized dogs to investigate the role of cholinergic receptors in the relationship between antral immunoreactive (I) gastrin release and antral motility. Electrical stimulation of extrinsic nerves via the cervical vagus or the nerve of Latarjet appeared to increase I gastrin release and antral motility by separate pathways as blockade of muscarinic receptors, i.e., atropinization inhibited motility but did not alter I gastrin release. On the other hand, blockade of nicotinic receptors by hexamethonium treatment obliterated I gastrin release induced by stimulation of the extrinsic nerves but only reduced motility. Field stimulation of intrinsic nerves via serosal electrodes also increased both I gastrin release and local motility. Since hexamethonium treatment only slightly reduced both I gastrin release and motility and atropinization eliminated both during field stimulation, the presence of a muscarinic receptor in the final pathway for each is proposed. Atropine eliminated carbachol-induced I gastrin release and motility increases, even in the presence of nerve blockade by tetrodotoxin. This suggests that this muscarinic receptor is on the smooth muscle cell itself and possibly on the gastrin cell. However a proposed role of the somatostatin cell in controlling gastrin release is also consistent with these data. Thus, both an intrinsic cholinergic and a separate extrinsic noncholinergic pathway are involved in antral release of I gastrin but initiation of motility appears to involve a final common pathway terminating in a muscarinic receptor on the smooth muscle cell.

The responses of strips of the canine colon to stimulation of intrinsic nerves and to the probable mediators of these nerves were studied in vitro. Studies were carried out using longitudinal and circular muscle strips from proximal and distal colon with field stimulation and addition of agents to the bath. Overall, these and other studies in vivo suggested that acetylcholine was an ubiquitous mediator of neural excitation. Norepinephrine had mixed inhibitory and excitatory effects, the latter only in circular muscle. Inhibitory effects of norepinephrine seemed to be both pre- and post-synaptic but no evidence that it was released by field stimulation was obtained. Substance P had excitatory effects chiefly by release of acetylcholine. It, in addition to norepinephrine, at least in circular muscle, deserves evaluation as the mediator of noncholinergic excitation to high frequency field stimulation. Although vasoactive intestinal peptide sometimes had inhibitory effects, these were incomplete and inconsistent. However, further evaluation of its possible role as a nonadrenergic, noncholinergic inhibitory mediator is required to determine if it is involved as one component in the response. Few qualitative differences existed between responses of various regions of the colon to potential neuromediators, although there were some consistent differences between responses of longitudinal and circular muscle. Some differences existed in responses obtained earlier in vivo and in vitro. In particular, inhibitory effects following excitation by substance P on field stimulation were found only in vivo. Nonadrenergic, noncholinergic inhibitory responses to field stimulation were consistently present only in vitro. These differences have not been explained.

Previous light microscopic studies showed that perfusion of the hamster jejunum with 4.8% ethanol (ethanol period) in vivo produced fluid-filled subepithelial blisters (blebs) on the villi. These blebs had virtually disappeared within 45 min after the discontinuation of the ethanol perfusion (recovery period). The present study examined these ethanol-induced changes in the jejunum by scanning (SEM) and transmission (TEM) electron microscopy. TEM revealed that ethanol did not damage epithelial cells in areas where blebs were not present. In these areas the basal surfaces of the epithelial cells were attached to the basal lamina, and the lateral intercellular spaces (LIS) were open. In the areas where blebs formed, the stretched epithelial cells which covered the blebs lost their basal anchoring and so could not maintain their LIS. Both SEM and TEM indicate that there was a decrease in the quantity of glycocalyx at the surfaces of cells which covered blebs. Our findings indicate that ethanol does not directly damage epithelial cells but that the cellular damage is due to detachment over the blebs. It is likely that ethanol at first traverses the epithelial layer and then produces stasis in the villus core. Continued fluid transport by the epithelial layer in the presence of statis results in accumulation of the fluid and widely dilated LIS. With subsequent enlargement of the LIS the bases of the cells detach from the basal lamina and blebs are formed.

Increasing concentrations of neurotensin produced a biphasic contractile response, inhibition followed by excitation, when added to full-thickness circular strips of canine gastric corpus muscle cut in a circular orientation and incubated at 37 degrees C in vitro. The inhibitory response (mean effective concentration (EC50) 7 x 10(-9)M) was not altered by addition of concentrations of tetrodotoxin or scorpion venom sufficient to block field-stimulated neural responses nor by any other antagonist tested. Therefore, it would appear that inhibition is due to an excitation of the smooth muscle receptor. The excitatory response (EC50 4 x 10(-7)M) was only present in full-thickness strips, i.e., was absent in strips of circular muscle, and was reduced by mepyramine or histamine tachyphylaxis. Pretreatment with disodium cromoglycate or repeated doses of 48/80 to extinction of the response completely eliminated the excitatory response as did repeated doses of substance P to tachyphylaxis. Since 48/80 and substance P have been shown to degranulate mast cells and disodium cromoglycate to stabilize mast cell membranes, neurotensin would appear to produce excitation by releasing histamine and other material from mast cells. In contrast to in vivo studies, where two classes of receptors producing inhibition were found, i.e., a high-affinity receptor on adrenergic nerves and a lower affinity receptor on smooth muscles, in vitro there appears to be only one class of receptor producing inhibition on the smooth muscle itself as no neural receptors were found. The neurotensin receptor responsible for excitation appeared to be on mast cells. The action of neurotensin thus depends upon the locus and the affinity of the receptor and the presence of the receptor on the method of study, i.e., in vivo vs. in vitro.

Immunoreactive plasma motilin concentrations were studied following a variety of stimuli in 24 healthy fasting subjects. Plasma motilin was measured by a radioimmunoassay using antibody GP 71 (J. C. Brown) and natural porcine motilin as standard. Basal motilin levels ranged from undetectable to 365 pg/mL. Antral and intraduodenal infusion of 50 mL o.1 N HCl (pH 1.2) at 5 mL/min failed to alter significantly plasma motilin levels but duodenal acid infusions at 17 mL/min caused a significant increase (70.8 +/- 29.5 pg/mL, mean +/- SEM; n = 6), maximal at 40 min. Duodenal alkalinization with 50 mL 0.3 M Tris buffer (pH 8.0) infused at 5 mL/min produced no change in plasma motilin. A mixed meal did not affect plasma motilin levels. Ingestion of 60 g fat significantly increased plasma motilin (n = 13; maximal increase 150.3 +/- 43.3 pg/mL at 30 min) but duodenal infusions of fat failed to increase plasma motilin levels. These results suggest that motilin secretion induced by fat requires that the fat be present initially within the stomach for secretion to occur. We conclude that ingested fat is a potent stimulus of motilin release. As duodenal acidification (50 mL 0.1 N HCl over 10 min) induces duodenal activity resembling migrating motor complexes but does not release motilin, our data argue against the release of motilin following duodenal acidification as a trigger for the initiation of these complexes in man.

We have shown previously that close intra-arterial injections of neurotensin in vivo inhibited phasic activity induced by field stimulation of the canine small intestine during anaesthesia but had little effect during quiescence. In contrast, in vitro in the present study, full thickness strips of the muscularis externa cut in the circular axis responded to the lowest effective neurotensin concentrations (10(-12) to 10(-9) M) with an increase in frequency and amplitude of spontaneous contractions; as the concentration was increased from 10(-8) to 10(-7) M, neurotensin inhibited spontaneous activity. A small tonic contraction also occurred; it was maximal at 10(-7) M. Since sufficient tetrodotoxin to block field-stimulated nerve responses did not significantly reduce any of these responses in vitro, the neurotensin responses in vitro did not appear to involve actions on nerves. Indomethacin did not alter the excitatory response to 10(-11) M neurotensin but 5,8,11,14-eicosatetraynoic acid inhibited the excitatory response in a reversible fashion, without altering the response to acetylcholine. Thus excitation in vitro may require the release of excitatory metabolites of arachidonic acid via the lipoxygenase pathway. The neurotensin response in vivo was further studied by evaluating its actions against repetitive submaximal contractions induced by intra-arterial injections of acetylcholine given every minute. Doses that produced a short inhibition of the field-stimulated activity (10(-11) to 10(-10) mol intra-arterially) did not produce inhibition but 10(-10) mol significantly increased the response to acetylcholine. Higher doses (10(-9) mol) produced a significant inhibition of the first subsequent acetylcholine dose but no enhancement of later doses.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Subcellular membrane fractions were isolated from the circular muscle of the corpus of canine stomach by differential and isopycnic sucrose density gradient centrifugation. Differential centrifugation gave a mitochondrial fraction enriched (fourfold) in cytochrome c oxidase and a microsomal fraction enriched (fourfold) in 5'-nucleotidase and NADPH-cytochrome c reductase over postnuclear supernatant. On the basis of a study using continuous gradient, a discontinuous sucrose density gradient was prepared to yield F1 to F5 fractions. The F3 fraction at the interface of 18-32% (w/w) sucrose was maximally enriched (13-fold) in 5'-nucleotidase. The fraction contained very low levels of cytochrome c oxidase but did contain NADPH-cytochrome c reductase (eightfold enrichment). The F4 fraction, at the interface of 32-40% (w/w) sucrose, was maximally enriched in NADPH-cytochrome c reductase (12-fold) and cytochrome c oxidase (6-fold). The distribution of the azide-insensitive. ATP-dependent Ca2+ uptake correlated very well with that of 5'-nucleotidase but less well with NADPH-cytochrome c reductase and not at all with cytochrome c oxidase. Sodium azide and ruthenium red inhibited the ATP-dependent Ca2+ uptake by the mitochondrial fraction and postnuclear supernatant, but not by the F3 fraction. ATP-dependent Ca2+ uptake by the F3 fraction was inhibited by calcium ionophores A23187 and ionomycin, but not by the sodium ionophore, monensin. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the plasma membrane plays a major role ih regulating intracellular Ca2+ concentration in canine corpus circular muscle.

Glucose and water transport is depressed in the hamster jejunum in vivo by ethanol (4.8%) which also produced fluid-filled blebs at the tips of the villi. The epithelial cells over the blebs appeared stretched and cuboidal, the lateral intercellular spaces (LIS) were no longer recognizable, and the lacteals were closed. Forty-five minutes after discontinuation of the ethanol, water transport returned to normal while glucose transport remained depressed. At this time the villus structure had returned to normal. The blebs had disappeared, the LIS were again recognizable, and their appearance and number were similar to those in the control animals. Thus, the depression of water transport correlated with the obvious structural changes caused by ethanol; however, the depression of glucose absorption is associated with some effect of ethanol not evident by routine light microscopy.

The structural relationship of nerve, muscle, and interstitial cells of Cajal in circular muscle of the lesser curvature of the dog stomach (corpus) has been studied. This muscle has also been characterized functionally. Muscle cells are arranged in bundles and are interconnected by numerous gap junctions averaging 30 per 100 cross-sectioned muscle cells, and leading to an estimate that each cell has about 200 gap junctions. No other smooth muscle studied to date has such a high density of gap junctions. Nerve varicosities, mostly containing a predominance of small agranular vesicles with some containing a predominance of large granular vesicles, are located outside muscle bundles, usually in small- to medium-sized bundles. Very few nerves containing small granular vesicles, presumably adrenergic, were found in agreement with functional studies. A substantial number of damaged nerve profiles was also found, perhaps contributing to the loss of nerve-dependent responses present in vivo, but absent in vitro. Interstitial cells of Cajal were rare in this tissue, about 1 per 1000 cross-sectioned muscle cells. When present, they often made gap junction contact with smooth muscle and were closely innervated. The findings of a structural basis for very tight coupling between cells, the absence of a structural basis for direct neural control over motor function, and other findings have implications for the control of contractions in this muscle.

The relationship of immunoreactive (IR) motilin release from the duodenum to duodenal motility changes was investigated in anaesthetized dogs. Stimulation of one or both vagi at 5 or 15 Hz or field stimulation of intrinsic duodenal nerves produced significant increases in duodenal vein IR motilin concentrations and accompanying increases in duodenal motility. However, only stimulation of both vagi at 15 Hz produced significant changes in peripheral venous concentrations of IR motilin. These occurred after a delay at a time when both the duodenum and the antrum were quiescent. Either hexamethonium or atropine blocked IR motilin release induced by stimulation of intrinsic or extrinsic nerves while only atropine inhibited the release induced by intraarterial carbachol. The response stimulated by carbachol and blocked by atropine was tetrodotoxin insensitive and the muscarinic receptor involved was presumably located on a nonneural structure. The site sensitive to hexamethonium was presumably the neural pathway which terminated at the muscarinic receptor. Concomitant studies of duodenal motility responses to vagal and field stimulation suggested a conventional neural pathway with preganglionic cholinergic nerves in the vagus, postganglionic cholinergic nerves in the duodenum (activated by field stimulation) and a smooth muscle muscarinic receptor. Activation of antral motility by stimulation of the abdominal vagus or intraarterial carbachol injections to the antrum increased duodenal IR motilin release in the absence of duodenal motility. Thus activation of the intrinsic nerves which cross the pylorus initiated IR motilin release as well as inhibited duodenal motility.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The responses of the circular muscle of canine colon to stimulation of intrinsic nerves and to the probable mediators of these nerves were studied in vivo. In vivo studies were carried out using close intra-arterial injections and local field stimulation of proximal, mid-, and distal colon while recording circumferential contractions. Our results suggest that acetylcholine is the major excitatory mediator, but another excitatory mediator could be released by high frequency field stimulation after atropine. Norepinephrine had mixed inhibitory and excitatory effects, but no evidence was obtained that it was released by field stimulation. Substance P had mainly excitatory effects partly by a mechanism involving nerves and partly by a direct effect on muscle; it in addition to norepinephrine deserves further evaluation as the mediator of noncholinergic excitation to high frequency field stimulation. There is no explanation of the inhibition it produced after initial excitation during field stimulation. Vasoactive intestinal peptide had inhibitory effects but these were incomplete and inconsistent. This may be related to our inability to demonstrate relaxation or inhibition to field stimulation after atropine. Further evaluation of the possible role of vasoactive intestinal peptide and other agents as nonadrenergic, noncholinergic inhibitory mediators is required.