Role of nitric oxide in human esophageal circular smooth muscle in vitro.
Journal Article
The role of nitric oxide in human esophageal smooth muscle was examined. Immunostaining for constitutive nitric oxide synthase labeled nerve fibers and bundles within longitudinal and circular smooth muscle layers of resected tissue samples. Strips of circular muscle mounted in organ baths exhibited spontaneous contractions and active tone. When exposed to 5-second trains of electric field stimulation at 20 Hz, most strips exhibited intrastimulus "on" and poststimulus "off" contractions. Exposure to a 0.1 mumol/L (or greater) concentration of atropine converted "on" contractions to "on" relaxations and reduced "off" contractions by 63%. Exposure to NG-nitro-L-arginine resulted in concentration-dependent enhancement of "on" contractions and abolition of "off" contractions. Excess L-arginine enhanced the reversal of these effects. Sodium nitroprusside inhibited both spontaneous and evoked contractions. These results suggest that nitric oxide synthesis is a mediator of neural inhibition of human esophageal circular smooth muscle and is necessary for the occurrence of "off" contractions.
Full Text
Duke Authors
Cited Authors
- Richards, WG; Stamler, JS; Kobzik, L; Sugarbaker, DJ
Published Date
- July 1995
Published In
Volume / Issue
- 110 / 1
Start / End Page
- 157 - 164
PubMed ID
- 7541879
Pubmed Central ID
- 7541879
Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)
- 1097-685X
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
- 0022-5223
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
- 10.1016/s0022-5223(05)80021-2
Language
- eng