Abstract

These studies were performed in vitro to investigate the nature of the second messenger for lower esophageal sphincter (LES) smooth muscle relaxation in response to electrical field stimulation (EFS) and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP). It was seen that VIP, permeant derivatives of the cyclic nucleotide 8-bromo cyclic GMP (BrcGMP) and 8-bromo cyclic AMP (8-BrcAMP), the guanylate cyclase stimulant sodium nitroprusside (SNP), the adenylate cyclase stimulant forskolin, M&B 22,948 (cGMP phosphodiesterase inhibitor) and SK&F 94,120 (cAMP phosphodiesterase inhibitor) caused dose-dependent and tetrocotoxin resistant fall in LES tension. Guanylate cyclase inhibitor methylene blue (MB) (3 x 10(-5) M), caused significant antagonism of fall in LES tension by SNP without modifying the inhibitory response of forskolin. The possible adenylate cyclase inhibitor N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) (1 x 10(-4) M), on the other hand, caused significant antagonism of fall in LES tension by forskolin without any effect on that caused by SNP. The inhibitory responses of 8-BrcGMP and 8-BrcAMP were not modified by MB or NEM. NEM (1 x 10(-4) M) and MB (3 x 10(-5) M) caused significant inhibition of the fall in LES tension with EFS. NEM also caused inhibition of fall in LES tension by VIP. Furthermore, SK&F 94,120 and not M&B 22,948 caused significant potentiation of fall in LES tension by EFS. From these results we conclude that: 1) cAMP and cGMP may act as second messengers for LES relaxation with EFS and VIP, and 2) VIP may act primarily via cAMP system and remains a strong possibility for one of the inhibitory neurotransmitters in the LES.