PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - M Hamaguchi AU - T Ishibashi AU - S Imai TI - Involvement of charybdotoxin-sensitive K+ channel in the relaxation of bovine tracheal smooth muscle by glyceryl trinitrate and sodium nitroprusside. DP - 1992 Jul 01 TA - Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics PG - 263--270 VI - 262 IP - 1 4099 - http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/262/1/263.short 4100 - http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/262/1/263.full SO - J Pharmacol Exp Ther1992 Jul 01; 262 AB - To elucidate the involvement of K+ channels in the smooth muscle relaxation by glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP), effects of several K+ channel antagonists on the relaxant responses to GTN, SNP and 8-bromoguanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (8-Br-cGMP) were studied in bovine tracheal smooth muscle. Although an antagonist of large conductance Ca(++)-activated K+ channel, charybdotoxin, produced no definite effect on the relaxation induced by GTN, SNP and atriopeptin in the rabbit aortic ring preparation, this antagonist inhibited the relaxation by GTN, SNP, atriopeptin and 8-Br-cGMP in the bovine tracheal smooth muscle. Methylene blue, a soluble guanylate cyclase inhibitor, also had an inhibitory effect on the relaxation by GTN and SNP. Both apamin, a small conductance Ca(++)-activated K+ channel antagonist, and glibenclamide, an ATP-sensitive K+ channel antagonist, did not exhibit any inhibitory effect on the relaxant responses to GTN and SNP. GTN and SNP increased cGMP content. The increment was attenuated by methylene blue, whereas it was unaffected by charybdotoxin. These results indicate the involvement of large conductance Ca(++)-activated K+ channel in the relaxation of bovine tracheal smooth muscle by GTN, SNP and 8-Br-cGMP. The activation of K+ channel by GTN and SNP is thought to occur via increases in cGMP content.