Effects of prostaglandin F2 alpha and indomethacin on the contractile activity of different compartments of the complex stomach.

In vitro experiments have shown that PGF2 alpha or indomethacin produces different effects on muscle strips isolated from different compartments of sheep complex stomach. PGF2 alpha (10(-6) - 10(-5) M) increases the tone of the ruminal preparations and exerts a negligible effect on the reticulum and omasum strips. Indomethacin (5 X 10(-6) M) inhibits the mechanical activity of the rumen and omasum and has no effect on that of the reticulum. More pronounced are the effects on the different parts of the abomasum: PGF2 alpha (10(-9) - 10(-6) M) markedly increases the tone of the proximal abomasum and decreased the amplitude and the phasic contractions of the antral abomasum; indomethacin (5 X 10(-6) M) inhibits the tone and the phasic contractions of the middle abomasum. PGF2 alpha (10(-9) - 10(-6) M) inhibits while indomethacin (5 X 10(-6) M) stimulates the contractile activity of the antral abomasum.

Electro-mechanical coupling in the complex stomach smooth muscles.

In the majority of experiments the ruminal preparations did not exhibit spontaneous electrical and contractile activity but showed a Ca-dependent spike-free myogenic tone. Ba2+ or Sr2+ evoked spike activity and phasic contractions and increased the muscle tonic tension. Tetraethylammonium (TEA) exerted no effect on the ruminal preparations but potentiated the effect of Ba2+. Acetylcholine (ACh) induced dose-dependent spike-free tonic contractions which were verapamil resistant and were suppressed by sodium nitroprusside. When applied to BaCl2- or TEA-pretreated preparations ACh caused spike activity and phasic contractions. The antral abomasum exhibited a spontaneous electrical activity--slow waves on which spike potentials were superimposed. ACh and TEA induced membrane depolarization and increased the spike activity and the phasic contraction amplitude.

A possibility of substituting Ca2+ by Ba2+ or Mn2+ during the contractile processes of complex stomach smooth muscles.

In vitro experiments were carried out on muscle strips from different compartments of sheep complex stomach. The following conclusions were drawn: 1. In Ca2+-free medium containing EDTA (0.5 mM) proximal and antral abomasum preparations are mechanically inactive. The addition of BaCl2 (0.2-1 mM) induces phasic contractions in the rumen and antrum strips. In contrast to the simple stomach Ba2+ causes a significant increase in the tone of the rumen and proximal abomasum preparations. This tonic contraction is verapamil resistant and is completely suppressed by sodium nitroprusside. 2. The Ba2+ effect is not mediated by cholinergic or adrenergic systems. Ba2+ can substitute Ca2+ in generating both phasic and tonic contractions in complex stomach smooth muscles. 3. Compared with the simple stomach Mn2+ (0.2-0.8 mM) influences neither the ACh-induced activity in normal nutrient medium nor the tone of the rumen and proximal abomasum preparations in Ca2+-free solution.