Adaptation of active tone in the mouse descending thoracic aorta under acute changes in loading.

Arteries can adapt to sustained changes in blood pressure and flow, and it is thought that these adaptive processes often begin with an altered smooth muscle cell activity that precedes any detectable changes in the passive wall components. Yet, due to the intrinsic coupling between the active and passive properties of the arterial wall, it has been difficult to delineate the adaptive contributions of active smooth muscle. To address this need, we used a novel experimental-computational approach to quantify adaptive functions of active smooth muscle in arterial rings excised from the proximal descending thoracic aorta of mice and subjected to short-term sustained circumferential stretches while stimulated with various agonists. A new mathematical model of the adaptive processes was derived and fit to data to describe and predict the effects of active tone adaptation. It was found that active tone was maintained when the artery was adapted close to the optimal stretch for maximal active force production, but it was reduced when adapted below the optimal stretch; there was no significant change in passive behavior in either case. Such active adaptations occurred only upon smooth muscle stimulation with phenylephrine, however, not stimulation with KCl or angiotensin II. Numerical simulations using the proposed model suggested further that active tone adaptation in vascular smooth muscle could play a stabilizing role for wall stress in large elastic arteries.

Adenosine A(1) receptors and vascular reactivity.

AIM: Blood pressure is higher in A(1) receptor knock-out (A(1)R-/-) mice than in wild type litter mates (A(1)R+/+) and we have examined if this could be related to altered vascular functions. METHODS: Contraction of aortic rings and mesenteric arteries were examined. To examine if the adenosine A(1) receptor-mediated contraction of aortic muscle was functionally important we examined pulse pressure (PP) and augmentation index (AIX) using a sensor that allows measurements of rapid pressure transients. RESULTS: Contraction of aortic rings to phenylephrine and relaxation to acetylcholine were similar between genotypes. The non-selective adenosine receptor agonist N-ethyl carboxamido adenosine (NECA) enhanced the contractile response, and this was eliminated in aortas from A(1)R-/- mice. However, in mesenteric arteries no contractile response was seen and adenosine-mediated relaxation was identical between studied genotypes. A(2B) adenosine receptors, rather than A(2A) receptors, may be mainly responsible for the vasorelaxation induced by adenosine analogues in the examined mouse vessels. PP was higher in A(1)R-/- mice, but variability was unaltered. AIX was not different between genotypes, but the NECA-induced fall was larger in A(1)R-/- mice. CONCLUSIONS: The role of adenosine A(1) receptors in regulating vessel tone differs between blood vessels. Furthermore, contractile effects on isolated vessels cannot explain the blood pressure in A(1) knock-out mice. The A(1) receptor modulation of blood pressure is therefore mainly related to extravascular factors.

An in vitro model for studying neuromuscular transmission in the mouse pharynx.

The muscles of the pharynx are controlled by networks of neurons under the control of specific regions in the brain stem, which have been fairly well studied. However, the transmission between these neurons and the pharyngeal muscles, at the motor end plates, is less well understood. Therefore, an in vitro model for the study of neuromuscular transmission in the pharyngeal muscle of the mouse was developed. Ring preparations from the inferior constrictor and the cricopharyngeus muscles were isolated and mounted for isometric force recording at physiologic temperature. Preparations from the diaphragm and the soleus muscles were examined in parallel. The muscles were stimulated at supramaximal voltage with short tetani at 100 Hz. Following direct stimulation of the muscle fibers, using a longer pulse duration, the rate of force development of the pharyngeal muscles was similar to that of the diaphragm and faster than that of the soleus muscle. By varying the duration of the stimulation pulses, conditions where the nerve-mediated activation contributed to a major extent of the contractile responses were identified. Gallamine completely inhibited the nerve-mediated responses. In separate experiments the dose dependence of gallamine inhibition was examined, showing similar sensitivity in the inferior pharyngeal constrictor compared to the diaphragm and soleus muscles. We conclude that reproducible contractile responses with an identifiable nerve-induced component can be obtained from the mouse inferior pharyngeal constrictor. The pharyngeal muscles have contractile characteristics similar to those of the faster diaphragm. The sensitivity to the neuromuscular blocking agent gallamine of the inferior pharyngeal constrictor was in the same concentration range as that of the diaphragm and soleus muscles.

Role of desmin in active force transmission and maintenance of structure during growth of urinary bladder.

Role of the intermediate filament protein desmin in hypertrophy of smooth muscle was examined in desmin-deficient mice (Des(-/-)). A partial obstruction of the urethra was created, and after 9-19 days bladder weight increased approximately threefold in both Des(-/-) and wild type (Des(+/+)) animals. Bladder growth was associated with the synthesis of actin and myosin. In the hypertrophic Des(+/+) bladder, the relative content of desmin increased. In Des(-/-)mice, desmin was absent. No alterations in the amount of vimentin were observed. Although Des(-/-) obstructed bladders were capable of growth, they had structural changes with a partial disruption of the wall. Des(-/-)bladders had slightly lower passive stress and significantly lower active stress compared with Des(+/+). Des(-/-)preparations had lower shortening velocity. During hypertrophy, these structural and mechanical alterations in the Des(-/-)urinary bladder became more pronounced. In conclusion, desmin in the bladder smooth muscle is not needed for growth but has a role in active force transmission and maintenance of wall structure.

Desmin filaments influence myofilament spacing and lateral compliance of slow skeletal muscle fibers.

Intermediate filaments composed of desmin interlink Z-disks and sarcolemma in skeletal muscle. Depletion of desmin results in lower active stress of smooth, cardiac, and skeletal muscles. Structural functions of intermediate filaments in fast (psoas) and slow (soleus) skeletal muscle were examined using x-ray diffraction on permeabilized muscle from desmin-deficient mice (Des-/-) and controls (Des+/+). To examine lateral compliance of sarcomeres and cells, filament distances and fiber width were measured during osmotic compression with dextran. Equatorial spacing (x-ray diffraction) of contractile filaments was wider in soleus Des-/- muscle compared to Des+/+, showing that desmin is important for maintaining lattice structure. Osmotic lattice compression was similar in Des-/- and Des+/+. In width measurements of single fibers and bundles, Des-/- soleus were more compressed by dextran compared to Des+/+, showing that intermediate filaments contribute to whole-cell compliance. For psoas fibers, both filament distance and cell compliance were similar in Des-/- and Des+/+. We conclude that desmin is important for stabilizing sarcomeres and maintaining cell compliance in slow skeletal muscle. Wider filament spacing in Des-/- soleus cannot, however, explain the lower active stress, but might influence resistance to stretch, possibly minimizing stretch-induced cell injury.

Changes in intracellular calcium concentration and P2X1 receptor expression in hypertrophic rat urinary bladder smooth muscle.

AIMS: Contractile responses to purinergic activation in the urinary bladder are altered in outflow obstruction (O). We determined if the lowered contractile response to adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in obstructed rat urinary bladder was due to changes in calcium handling or in P2X1 purinoceptor density. MATERIALS AND METHODS: O was created in rat by partial ligature of the urethra, with non-obstructed rats as controls (C). Force and intracellular calcium were measured in bladder strips activated with ATP. Tissue was sectioned for light and electron microscopy and analyzed with Western blot using a P2X1 antibody. RESULTS: Bladder weight increased from 66 +/- 3 (C) to 206 +/- 17 mg (O) (n = 6). ATP gave a transient contractile response which was decreased in the obstructed strips (C: 161 +/- 20; O: 63 +/- 16% of high-K+ force). Intracellular calcium concentration after ATP activation in the obstructed bladder muscle was about 50% of that in the control preparations (C: 669 +/- 110; O: 335 +/- 59 nM). Half-time for calcium influx was increased in the O group. P2X1 immunoreactivity per unit bladder weight was similar in the two groups. Cell membrane area per unit wet weight was decreased in the O group. CONCLUSIONS: Attenuated contractile responses to ATP in obstructed rat urinary bladder are due to a lowered rate of calcium influx and maximal peak calcium concentration. This change in Ca2+transients is not due to a decrease in P2X1 receptor density in the smooth muscle cell membranes. Possibly, the increase in cell volume buffers the rapid and transient influx of Ca2+ following purinoceptor activation in the obstructed bladder.

Lower active force generation and improved fatigue resistance in skeletal muscle from desmin deficient mice.

The mechanical effects of the intermediate filament protein desmin was examined in desmin deficient mice (Des-/-) and their wild type control (Des+/+). Active force generation was determined in intact soleus muscles and in skinned single fibres from soleus and psoas. A decreased force generation of skinned muscle fibres from Des-/- mice and a tendency towards decreased active force in intact soleus muscle were detected. Concentrations of the contractile protein actin and myosin were not altered in Des-/- muscles. Ca(2+)-sensitivity of skinned single fibres in Des-/- muscles was unchanged compared to Des+/+. Using a protocol with repeated short tetani an increased fatigue resistance was found in the intact soleus muscles from Des-/- mice. In conclusion, desmin intermediate filaments are required for optimal generation or transmission of active force in skeletal muscle. Although other studies have shown that the desmin intermediate filaments appear to influence Ca(2+)-handling, the Ca(2+)-sensitivity of the contractile filaments is not altered in skeletal muscle of Des-/- mice. Previous studies have reported a switch towards slower myosin isoforms in slow skeletal muscle of Des-/- mice. The increased fatigue resistance show that this change is reflected in the physiological function of the muscle.

Cardiotonic bipyridine amrinone slows myosin-induced actin filament sliding at saturating [MgATP].

Previously reported effects of amrinone on skeletal muscle function suggest that the drug reduces the rate constant of myosin cross-bridge dissociation. We have used the in vitro motility assay to further elucidate the mechanism underlying this effect and to aid these studies a new, improved, filament tracking software was developed in the Matlab environment. The experiments were carried out at 30 degrees C using heavy meromyosin from fast rabbit muscle and rhodamine-phalloidin labeled actin filaments. A slowing effect of amrinone on filament sliding velocity at 1 mM MgATP was observed at drug concentrations >0.3 mM. This effect showed signs of saturation at the highest drug concentrations (1-2 mM) that could be readily tested. The sliding velocity exhibited hyperbolic dependence on [MgATP] with a Vmax of 7.2 +/- 0.9 microm/s and a KM of 0.18 +/- 0.02 mM. Amrinone (1 mM) reduced Vmax by 32 +/- 5% (P < 0.01) and KM by 42 +/- 8% (P < 0.05; n=4). These results are accounted for in the most straightforward way by a model where amrinone acts directly on the actomyosin system and reduces the rate constant of MgADP release. Such a well-defined effect on the myosin cross-bridge cycle makes the drug a potentially useful pharmacological tool for further studies of myosin function both in vitro and in the ordered filament array of a living muscle fiber.

Local infusion of the nitric oxide donor Sin-1 after angioplasty. Effects on intimal hyperplasia in porcine coronary arteries.

PURPOSE: To investigate the development of intimal hyperplasia in response to percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) followed by local delivery of the nitric oxide (NO) donor 3-morpholino-sydnonimine (SIN-1). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Overdilation PTCA was performed in coronary arteries in 20 healthy pigs. One of the dilated segments was additionally treated with local delivery of SIN-1 for 10 min. Segments distal to the treated part of the arteries served as controls. Arteries were radiographically depicted and analyzed after 1 and 8 weeks for actin, myosin and intermediate filaments (IF), nitric oxide synthetase (NOS) and histological evaluation. RESULTS: Segments treated with PTCA+SIN-1 showed a significantly (p=0.03) larger luminal diameter compared with PTCA only treated segments. The luminal loss after SIN-1 was not significant compared with the diameter prior to treatment. Endothelial NOS content was significantly lower in the PTCA+SIN-1 group compared with the PTCA group after 1 (p=0.03) and 8 weeks (p=0.013). IF/actin ratio after 1 week was significantly increased in PTCA-treated segments compared with untreated controls (p=0.004), and compared with PTCA+SIN-1-treated segments (p=0.004). CONCLUSION: PTCA-induced intimal hyperplasia was potently inhibited by local delivery of the NO donor SIN-1. Momentary events at the time of injury play a significant role in the development of intimal hyperplasia and long-lasting down-regulation of the endothelial NOS expression after SIN-1 exposure is suggested. The IF/actin ratio can be useful as an early marker of intimal hyperplasia.

Regeneration of detrusor muscle after subtotal cystectomy in the rat: effects on contractile proteins and bladder mechanics.

The aim of the present study was to determine to what extent adult rats can produce new contracting bladder muscle and to see if such newly formed bladder tissue possesses characteristic mechanical properties or whether the ability to recover mechanically is so pronounced that the prehistory of the bladder is unimportant. Subtotal cystectomy was performed in adult female rats, leading to a pronounced decrease in total bladder weight. At 10 weeks, bladder weight had normalized. The histological appearance of such bladders was similar to that of the controls. Active and passive length-tension relations for the detrusor muscle were determined in controls and up to 10 weeks after surgery. Immediately after surgery active and passive forces showed a leftward shift and maximum active force decreased markedly. With time the length-tension curves shifted back to normal, but a decreased active force still remained at 10 weeks. Detrusor actin concentration and detrusor myosin/actin ratio were unaffected by the subtotal cystectomy. Intermediate filament protein/actin ratio showed a significant but transitory increase. We conclude that there is a remarkable recovery of detrusor muscle function after subtotal cystectomy, leading to a normalization of optimum length for active force and a net synthesis of contractile and cytoskeletal proteins. The ability to produce active force does, however, not fully recover.

Increased expression of non-muscle myosin heavy chain-B in connective tissue cells of hypertrophic rat urinary bladder.

Expression of the non-muscle myosin heavy chain-B (NM-MHC-B, also denoted as the embryonic smooth muscle myosin heavy chain, SMemb) was examined in rat urinary bladder during growth in response to a partial urinary outflow obstruction. Following obstruction, the weight of the urinary bladder increased more than five-fold within 10 days. Immunohistochemistry with a polyclonal antiserum against the C-terminal sequence of NM-MHC-B revealed very few NM-MHC-B immunoreactive cells in the control urinary bladders. In hypertrophic bladders, the number of NM-MHC-B immunoreactive cells markedly increased. The majority of such cells were found in the interstitium surrounding smooth muscle bundles and also in the subserosal and submucosal layers. Western blot analysis showed that the NM-MHC-B expression was transient; the content of NM-MHC-B immunoreactive material had doubled 10 days after obstruction and then declined towards the control level after 6 weeks. Immunohistochemistry revealed co-localization of NM-MHC-B and vimentin within the same cells. NM-MHC-B did not co-localize with smooth muscle actin, suggesting that the source of NM-MHC-B is not a de-differentiated smooth muscle cell or myofibroblast but a non-muscle cell possibly reacting to tissue distension or stress. The NM-MHC-B-positive cells could have a role in the production of extracellular matrix and growth factors or be involved in modulation of spontaneous contractile activity.

Substrate and product dependence of force and shortening in fast and slow smooth muscle.

To explore the molecular mechanisms responsible for the variation in smooth muscle contractile kinetics, the influence of MgATP, MgADP, and inorganic phosphate (P(i)) on force and shortening velocity in thiophosphorylated "fast" (taenia coli: maximal shortening velocity Vmax = 0.11 ML/s) and "slow" (aorta: Vmax = 0.015 ML/s) smooth muscle from the guinea pig were compared. P(i) inhibited active force with minor effects on the V(max). In the taenia coli, 20 mM P(i) inhibited force by 25%. In the aorta, the effect was markedly less (< 10%), suggesting differences between fast and slow smooth muscles in the binding of P(i) or in the relative population of P(i) binding states during cycling. Lowering of MgATP reduced force and V(max). The aorta was less sensitive to reduction in MgATP (Km for Vmax: 80 microM) than the taenia coli (Km for Vmax: 350 microM). Thus, velocity is controlled by steps preceding the ATP binding and cross-bridge dissociation, and a weaker binding of ATP is not responsible for the lower V(max) in the slow muscle. MgADP inhibited force and V(max). Saturating concentrations of ADP did not completely inhibit maximal shortening velocity. The effect of ADP on Vmax was observed at lower concentrations in the aorta compared with the taenia coli, suggesting that the ADP binding to phosphorylated and cycling cross-bridges is stronger in slow compared with fast smooth muscle.

Up-regulation of bradykinin response in rat and human bladder smooth muscle.

PURPOSE: Responses to bradykinin were investigated in vitro in isolated control and hypertrophic smooth muscle strips from rat bladder. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Bladder hypertrophy was induced by a 10-day period of partial urinary outflow obstruction. In addition, human bladder strips were also investigated. RESULTS: Bradykinin (1 nM. to 1 microM.) caused contractions in all tissues studied. In the freshly isolated rat bladder preparations bradykinin induced contractions were similar and of small amplitude in control and hypertrophic tissues. After a 4-hour equilibratory period contractile responses to bradykinin and the B1 specific bradykinin receptor agonist desArg9 bradykinin were slightly increased in the controls but there was approximately a 6-fold increase in the hypertrophic muscle strips. After 4 hours of equilibration the human bladder strips showed a smaller but still significant increase in contractile response to bradykinin. Indomethacin, a cyclooxygenase inhibitor, almost abolished the increased response, which suggests that prostanoids are involved in the up-regulated response. The protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide inhibited up-regulation by approximately 50% in hypertrophic and control muscle strips from rat bladder and normal muscle from human bladder. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that bradykinin receptor responses are present in rat and human detrusor muscle and they can be up-regulated in vitro. Experiments on hypertrophic rat bladder revealed that this process is enhanced in hypertrophy.

Nuevas tecnologías aplicadas a la cirugía laparoscópica. telecirugía y robótica / New technologies applied to laparoscopic surgery: telesurgery and robotics

Un repaso a la situación actual de nuestros quirófanos demuestra la continua inclusión de nuevos aparatos. La cirugía laparoscópica ha saturado el espacio de la sala de operaciones, creando un sinfín de incomodidades a todo el personal. La introducción de las nuevas tecnologías en nuestros hospitales facilita la labor diagnóstica y terapéutica al médico, al verse ampliado el abanico de posibilidades, y comporta beneficios para el paciente ya que permite un proceso más rápido y preciso y un acto terapéutico menos agresivo, menos traumático, con una recuperación más rápida y cómoda. Quizá valga la pena señalar las desventajas que también conlleva su uso, como son el encarecimiento del tratamiento por el coste del material y del personal que debe manejarlo, o la necesaria reorganización del modelo asistencial que conlleva una reubicación de los recursos, incluidos los profesionales. A éstos se les exige el esfuerzo continuado para estar al día, superar las incomodidades derivadas del manejo de instrumentos y aparatos insuficientemente desarrollados y aprovechar estas nuevas posibilidades en la atención a sus pacientes. La aplicación de la informática y de nuevas vías de comunicación hará que el escenario de nuestras actuaciones varíe, tanto en el aspecto externo como en la composición de los equipos quirúrgicos, en los que personal que actualmente cumple una función asistencial será sustituido por otro especializado en informática, ingeniería, psicología, etc. El futuro permitirá que las máquinas colaboren activamente en el desarrollo de los procedimientos terapéuticos, e incluso lleven a cabo los mismos actos que hoy día realiza el hombre, pero de forma mucho más rápida y precisa, sin el cansancio o el relajamiento y falta de atención, implícitos en la condición humana (AU)

Kinetics of contraction in depolarized smooth muscle from guinea-pig taenia coli after photodestruction of nifedipine.

1. The time course and kinetics of force development following activation by opening of L-type Ca2+ channels was investigated using photodestruction of the Ca2+ channel blocker nifedipine in smooth muscle from the guinea-pig taenia coli. 2. In muscles activated using high K+ and Ca2+ and subsequently inhibited with nifedipine, photodestruction of the drug using a strong ultraviolet light flash initiated a rapid contraction. The force initiated by photodestruction of nifedipine reached near-maximal levels. This procedure eliminates diffusional delays and can thus be used to investigate the kinetics of depolarization-induced contractions. 3. The rate of force development of contractions initiated by photodestruction of nifedipine was slower than that observed in maximally thiophosphorylated skinned fibres. This suggests the rate of force development is limited by activation steps in the activation cascade prior to the force generation of the cross-bridge system. 4. The rate of force development and the plateau force were dependent on the extracellular [CaCl2] suggesting that the intracellular [Ca2+] determines the rate of phosphorylation and force development. The delay between illumination and increase in force was about 300 ms. The delay was similar at low and high extracellular [CaCl2] indicating that buffering by superficial sarcoplasmatic reticulum does not introduce a delay in force development following activation of Ca2+ channels in this muscle.

Inhibition of force and shortening in smooth muscle by vanadate.

We have investigated the effects of vanadate (Vi) on force generation by, and shortening of, chemically skinned smooth muscle preparations from guinea-pig taenia coli at 22 degrees C. A method, using phosphatase inhibitors, was introduced to obtain stable, long-lasting contractions in thiophosphorylated preparations. Vi (10-1000 microM) dose-dependently inhibited active force, to about 20% of its maximum level. At a higher temperature (30 degrees C), the rate of inhibition was faster but the extent of inhibition was less. The rate of contraction following photolytic release of ATP to fibres in rigor was not affected by Vi (30 microM). The maximal shortening velocity (Vmax) was inhibited in a similar manner as active force by Vi (30 microM). In conclusion, the results suggest that Vi interacts with a force-generating actomyosin-ADP (AMADP) state reached after phosphate release. The rate of inhibition of smooth muscle contraction was markedly lower than in skeletal muscle, suggesting differences either in properties of the Vi-bound states or, more likely, in the concentration of AMADP states capable of binding Vi. This suggests that the long duty cycle in smooth muscle is not associated with a higher relative population of AMADP states reached immediately after Pi release, but rather by an increase in the population of subsequent force-generating cross-bridge states. The Vi-bound cross-bridges introduce an internal load to shortening, possibly acting in a similar manner as cross-bridge states introduced at low levels of activation.

Contractile properties of ureters from rats with infravesical urinary outlet obstruction.

Mechanical properties of ureters from rats with infravesical urinary outflow obstruction were studied in vitro. Urinary outflow obstruction was created by partial ligation of the urethra in female rats. After 10 days a marked hypertrophy of the urinary bladder and a dilatation of the ureters were observed. Proximal and distal segments of the ureters from these animals were isolated and mounted in a wire myograph for force registration. Comparisons were made with ureters from control rats. The ureters from the rats with urinary outflow obstruction exhibited a large increase in lumen diameter and an unchanged thickness of the muscle layer. These data suggest that the dilatation of the ureters is associated with growth of the smooth muscle in the wall. All ureter preparations were relaxed in normal physiological salt solution. When the extracellular K+ concentration was increased to 20 mM the dilated ureters became spontaneously active. At [K+] in the range 20-40 mM in the presence of noradrenaline (10(-5) M) all ureters exhibited high-frequency spontaneous contractions. The dilated ureters had a lower frequency of spontaneous contractions and a higher force. The results show a pronounced remodelling of the ureter wall following infravesical outlet obstruction. The structural changes were associated with alterations in the contraction pattern of the preparations, most probably reflecting changes in the excitation-contraction coupling of the growing cells.

Calcium transients and the effect of a photolytically released calcium chelator during electrically induced contractions in rabbit rectococcygeus smooth muscle.

Intracellular Ca2+ was determined with the fura-2 technique during electrically induced contractions in the rabbit rectococcygeus smooth muscle at 22 degreesC. The muscles were electrically activated to give short, reproducible contractions. Intracellular [Ca2+] increased during activation; the increase in [Ca2+] preceded force development by approximately 2 s. After cessation of stimulation Ca2+ fell, preceding the fall in force by approximately 4 s. The fluorescence properties of fura-2 were determined with time-resolved spectroscopy using synchrotron light at the MAX-storage ring, Lund, Sweden. The fluorescence decay of free fura-2 was best described by two exponential decays (time constants approximately 0.5 and 1.5 ns) at low Ca2+ (pCa 9). At high Ca2+ (pCa 4.5), fluorescence decay became slower and could be fitted by one exponential decay (1.9 ns). Time-resolved anisotropy of free fura-2 was characteristic of free rotational motion (correlation time 0.3 ns). Motion of fura-2 could be markedly inhibited by high concentrations of creatine kinase. Time-resolved spectroscopy measurements of muscle fibers loaded with fura-2 showed that the fluorescence lifetime of the probe was longer, suggesting an influence of the chemical environment. Anisotropy measurements revealed, however, that the probe was mobile in the cells. The Ca2+-dependence of contraction and relaxation was studied using a photolabile calcium chelator, diazo-2, which could be loaded into the muscle cells in a similar manner as fura-2. Photolysis of diazo-2 leads to an increase in its Ca2+-affinity and a fall in free Ca2+. When muscles that had been loaded with diazo-2 were illuminated with UV light flashes during the rising phase of contraction, the rate of contraction became slower, suggesting a close relation between intracellular Ca2+ and the cross-bridge interaction. In contrast, photolysis during relaxation did not influence the rate of force decay, suggesting that relaxation of these contractions is not determined by the rate of Ca2+ removal or due to an increased Ca2+ sensitivity, but instead is limited by other processes such as deactivation by dephosphorylation or detachment of tension-bearing cross-bridges, possibly regulated by thin filament systems.