Characterization of the apamin- and L-nitroarginine-resistant NANC inhibitory transmission to the circular muscle of guinea-pig colon

1. The aim of this study was a pharmacological characterization of the multiple NANC inhibitory transmission systems producing relaxation of the circular muscle of guinea-pig proximal colon. In the presence of atropine (1 microM), guanethidine (3 microM) and of the tachykinin NK1 and NK2 receptor antagonists, SR 140333 (0.3 microM) and MEN 10627 (1 microM), respectively, electrical field stimulation (EFS) produced a frequency-dependent (0.1-3 Hz) relaxation. During a cumulative frequency-response curve, the maximal relaxant effect was produced at 3 Hz and approached the maximal relaxation to 1 microM isoprenaline. In the presence of both apamin (0.3 microM) and L-nitroarginine (L-NOARG, 100 microM), EFS failed to evoke relaxation up to 1 Hz; at 1-10 Hz, a slowly developing relaxation ensured which approached 50% of the Emax to isoprenaline. The EFS-evoked NANC relaxation, either in the presence or absence of apamin and L-NOARG, was unaffected by in vitro capsaicin pretreatment (10 microM for 15 min). 2. Three protocols of EFS were developed for further pharmacological analysis: (a) EFS at 1 Hz for 5 s in the presence of L-NOARG, producing a transient fast apamin-sensitive relaxation; (b) EFS at 1 Hz for 5 s in the presence of apamin, producing a transient fast L-NOARG-sensitive relaxation; and (c) EFS at 10 Hz for 5 s in the presence of both apamin and L-NOARG, producing a transient but slowly developing and more sustained relaxation. 3. The neutral endopeptidase inhibitor, thiorphan (1-10 microM), enhanced and prolonged the apamin- and L-NOARG-resistant NANC relaxation produced by EFS at 10 Hz, without affecting that evoked at 1 Hz in the presence of apamin or L-NOARG. The angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, captopril (1-10 microM) was without effect. 4. The cAMP analogue inhibitor of protein kinase A, Rp-cAMPs (100-300 microM) significantly reduced and shortened the NANC relaxation produced by 10 Hz EFS in the presence of L-NOARG without affecting that produced by 1 Hz EFS in the presence of apamin or L-NOARG. 5. The inhibitor of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca-ATPase, cyclopiazonic acid (CPA, 3-10 microM for 60 min) abolished the 1 Hz EFS-induced relaxation in the presence of L-NOARG, and greatly inhibited that produced by 10 Hz EFS in the presence of both apamin and L-NOARG. The relaxation produced by 1 Hz EFS in the presence of apamin was inhibited by about 32% at 10 microM only. 6. Nifedipine (1 microM) did not affect the EFS-induced NANC relaxations. In the presence of nifedipine, tetraethylammonium (TEA, 1 mM) enhanced the 1 Hz EFS-induced relaxation in the presence of L-NOARG (158% of control) and that produced by 10 Hz EFS in the presence of apamin and L-NOARG (215% of control) while that evoked by 1 Hz EFS in the presence of apamin was slightly affected (109% of control). 7. In the presence of atropine, guanethidine, SR 140333 and MEN 10627, bath application of human vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP, 0.1 nM-10 nM) produced a concentration-dependent, slowly developing relaxation of colonic strips. The relaxation to VIP was unaffected by apamin (0.3 microM), L-NOARG (100 microM), nifedipine (1 microM) or nifedipine plus TEA (1 mM); it was inhibited by CPA (10 microM) and Rp-cAMPs (100 microM) and was potentiated by thiorphan (10 microM). 8. The putative VIP receptor antagonist, VIP(10-28) (10 microM) did not affect the VIP-induced relaxation nor the NANC relaxation to 10 Hz EFS in the presence of apamin and L-NOARG. 9. The present findings provide evidence that three distinct NANC inhibitory mechanisms mediate relaxation of the circular muscle of the guinea-pig proximal colon. The first system provides a fast relaxation in response to low frequency of stimulation and may involve the action of a transmitter(s) (possibly ATP) which mobilizes intracellular Ca2+ from sarcoplasmic reticulum leading to the activation of apamin-sensitive K+ channels. The second system likewise provides a fast relaxation of the colon in