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Atropine resistant excitation of the urinary bladder: the possibility of transmission via nerves releasing a purine nucleotide
Author(s) -
BURNSTOCK G.,
DUMSDAY B.,
SMYTHE A.
Publication year - 1972
Publication title -
british journal of pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.432
H-Index - 211
eISSN - 1476-5381
pISSN - 0007-1188
DOI - 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1972.tb07283.x
Subject(s) - tachyphylaxis , adenosine , purine , acetylcholine , chemistry , medicine , contraction (grammar) , purinergic receptor , endocrinology , adenosine triphosphate , biology , biochemistry , enzyme
Summary1 The possibility that a purine nucleotide is involved in excitatory transmission to the urinary bladder has been tested. All the purine compounds tested which contained a pyrophosphate bond produced contraction, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) being the most potent. Adenosine and adenosine monophosphate caused relaxation. 2 The response to ATP closely mimicked the nerve‐mediated contraction, both being characterized by a rapid contraction which was not maintained. A lack of sensitivity to ATP was noted in some preparations of the rat urinary bladder. 3 Both nerve‐mediated contractions and contractions caused by ATP were blocked by quinidine, while the response to acetylcholine persisted. 4 Nerve‐mediated responses were depressed during tachyphylaxis produced by high concentrations of ATP. Tachyphylaxis did not occur when low concentrations were used. Possible explanations for these results are discussed. 5 The results are consistent with the hypothesis that non‐cholinergic excitatory nerves to the guinea‐pig bladder release a purine nucleotide, but do not provide critical evidence for it.