Abstract

Receptors for tachykinins and the signaling pathway to which they are coupled were characterized in dispersed muscle cells from the longitudinal muscle layer of the rat intestine. A technique of receptor protection whereby selective agonists and antagonists were used to protect one receptor while other receptors were inactivated with N-ethylmaleimide enabled each tachykinin receptor type to be identified separately. Protection of neurokinin (NK)-1 receptors with the selective NK-1 agonist, substance P methylester, or antagonist, GR-82,334 (Glp-Ala-Asp-Pro-Asn-Lys-Phe-Tyr-D-Pro[spiro-gamma-lactam]Leu-Trp-NH2), preserved the contractile response and increase in cytosolic-free Ca++ ([Ca++]i) induced by substance P methylester only; protection of NK-2 receptors with the selective NK-2 agonist, beta-[Ala8]NKA(4-10), or the selective NK-2b antagonist, L-659,877 [cyclo(Leu-Met-Gln-Trp-Phe-Gly)], preserved the contractile response and increase in [Ca++]i induced by beta-[Ala8]NKA(4-10) only; and protection of NK-3 receptors with the selective NK-3 agonist, senktide succinyl-[Asp6,MePhe8]substance P(6-11), preserved the contractile response and increase in [Ca++]i induced by succinyl-[Asp6,MePhe8]substance P(6-11) only. When used as a protective agent, the NK-2a antagonist, MEN-10,376 (H-Asp-Tyr-D-Trp-Val-D-Trp-D-Trp-Lys-NH2), did not preserve the response to any tachykinin agonist. Protection of NK-1, NK-2 and NK-3 receptors preserved fully the responses to the preferential endogenous agonists, substance P, NKA and NKB, respectively, but they also preserved in part (30-40%) the responses to the nonpreferential agonists. Because substance P and NKA are coreleased from the same precursor in intestinal muscle tissue, the pattern implied the existence of considerable spareness in the contractile response of muscle cells to tachykinins. Studies on dispersed circular muscle cells using selective tachykinin agonists as protective agents confirmed the presence of three tachykinin receptor types. The results demonstrate the coexistence of NK-1, NK-2b and NK-3 receptors on muscle cells of rat intestine that are preferentially activated by substance P, NKA and NKB, respectively, and are coupled separately to one signaling pathway mediating contraction.