Pharmacological evidence for the existence of multiple P2 receptors in the circular muscle of guinea‐pig colon

By using the sucrose gap technique, we have investigated the effect of the metabolically stable P2Y receptor agonist, adenosine 5′‐O‐2‐thiodiphosphate (ADPβS), on the membrane potential and tension in the circular muscle of the guinea‐pig proximal colon. All experiments were performed in the presence of atropine (1 μ M ), guanethidine (3 μ M ), indomethacin (3 μ M ), nifedipine (1 μ M ), L ‐nitroarginine ( L ‐NOARG, 100 μ M ) and of the tachykinin NK 1 and NK 2 receptor antagonists, SR 140333 (0.1 μ M ) and GR 94800 (0.1 μ M ), respectively. ADPβS (100 μ M for 15 s) evoked a tetrodotoxin‐ (1 μ M ) resistant hyperpolarization and contraction of the smooth muscle. In the presence of apamin (0.1 μ M ), the ADPβS‐induced hyperpolarization was converted to depolarization and the contraction was potentiated while tetraethylammonium (TEA, 10 m M ) did not affect significantly the response to ADPβS. The combined application of apamin and TEA reproduced the effect observed with apamin alone. Pyridoxalphosphate‐6‐azophenyl‐2′,4′‐disulphonic acids (PPADS, 30 μ M ) slightly but significantly increased the ADPβS‐induced hyperpolarization, while the contraction evoked by ADPβS was reduced by about 80%. Suramin (100 μ M ) did not affect the ADPβS‐induced hyperpolarization but totally blocked the ADPβS‐induced contraction. In the presence of suramin (100 μ M ), a small relaxation of the circular muscle was observed upon application of ADPβS. The contraction and hyperpolarization evoked by ADPβS were abolished in Ca 2+ ‐free Krebs solution. The blocker of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca 2+ pump, cyclopiazonic acid (10 μ M ) reduced contraction and hyperpolarization induced by ADPβS by about 60 and 50%, respectively. A comparison of our present and previous findings enables to conclude that at least 3 types of P2 receptors are present on the smooth muscle of the guinea‐pig colon, as follows: (1) inhibitory P2 receptors, producing an apamin‐sensitive hyperpolarization, which are activated by α,β‐methylene ATP (α,β‐meATP) and by endogenously released purines, sensitive to suramin and PPADS; (2) inhibitory P2 receptors, producing an apamin‐sensitive hyperpolarization, which are activated by ADPβS and are resistant to suramin and PPADS; (3) excitatory P2 receptors, producing contraction, which are activated by ADPβS and are sensitive to suramin and PPADS. The data also support the idea of the existence of a restricted pool of specialized junctional P2 receptors producing the apamin‐sensitive NANC inhibitory junction potential in response to endogenous ligand(s).British Journal of Pharmacology (1998) 123 , 122–128; doi: 10.1038/sj.bjp.0701558