The effects of valsartan and other nonpeptide angiotensin II type 1 (AT(1)) receptor blockers on the prejunctional actions of angiotensin II were investigated in the isolated left atria of rat. Norepinephrine stores in rat atria were loaded with [(3)H]norepinephrine, and neuronal norepinephrine release was deduced from the radioactivity efflux. Angiotensin II (10(-9) to 10(-6) M) produced conce...

The aim of this study was to determine the functional role of muscarinic receptor subtypes regulating gallbladder cholinergic contractions. Electrical field stimulation (EFS; 16 Hz) produced contractile responses of guinea pig gallbladder muscle strips in vitro that were inhibited by 1 μM tetrodotoxin (2 ± 2% of control) and 1 μM atropine (1 ± 1% of control), indicating activation of intrinsic ...

The cardiovascular reflexes, by regulating the traffic in the sympathetic nerves, govern the amount of norepinephrine released from the nerve endings. However, the final adjustments in the amount of neurotransmitter available to activate the beta 1 receptors in the heart and the alpha receptors in the blood vessels take place at the sympathetic neuroeffector junction. Thus, a decrease in pH, hy...

Diazepam, in doses of 0.2-5 mg/kg i.v., was without effect on the maximal twitch response of the flexor hallucis longus or soleus muscles of the cat. When injected 5 minutes prior to or at the time of greatest depth of block produced by gallamine oi tubocurarine, diazepam was without effect on the depth or the time course of the paralysis. The commercial solvent for diazepam (Valium, Roche), in...

Nasal stimulation provokes hypertension and bradycardia. We report here that such stimulation inhibits baroreflex vagal bradycardia (BVB). In chloralose- and urethan-anesthetized, β-adrenergic receptor-blocked rats, the aortic depressor nerves were cut and electrically stimulated to induce BVB. Nasal application of smoke, warm distilled water, or cold or hot Ringer solution suppressed BVB, but ...

Experiments were designed to test the hypothesis that nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are present at sites of neurotransmission to the guinea pig ileum circular smooth muscle. Circular smooth muscle preparations, from which the myenteric plexus had been removed (circular muscle-axon preparation), were used for this purpose. Nicotine and dimethylphenyl piperazinium iodide (10-100 micr...