Enhancement of EFS-induced contractions, by agmatine, in guinea pig gallbladder smooth muscle strips.

Background: Electrical field stimulation of gallbladder muscle strips produces frequency-dependent contractions by activating cholinergic nerves. The cholinergic motor function of the gallbladder and enteric system is also modulated by other mediators. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of agmatine, a ligand for alpha 2-adrenoceptors and imidazoline binding sites, in the cholinergic motor activity of guinea pig gallbladder smooth muscle.

Methods: Gallbladder muscle strips obtained from guinea pigs were subjected to electrical field stimulation (1-64 Hz, 100 V, 1-ms pulse width, and 10-s train duration). Frequency-response contractions of gallbladder muscle strips were traced before and after the addition of cumulative concentrations of agmatine (10(-5)-10(-3) M) to the tissue bath. The same set of experiments was repeated in the presence of different antagonists.

Results: Agmatine by itself did not produce any contractions in guinea pig gallbladder muscle strips, but significantly enhanced the contractile response produced by electrical field stimulation. Yohimbine (10(-6) M), a selective alpha 2-adrenergic blocker, neither decreased nor increased the enhancement induced by agmatine. However, idazoxan (10(-4) M), an alpha-receptor blocker and imidazoline receptor antagonist, abolished this enhanced contractile response. Pretreatment with N(W)-nitro L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME; 30 microM), and indomethacin (10 microM) did not inhibit the effect of agmatine.

Conclusions: Our findings indicate that agmatine has a modulator role in the electrical field stimulation-induced cholinergic contractions of guinea pig gallbladder smooth muscle strips, and this role could be mediated by imidazoline receptors. Receptor binding studies should be done to determine the presence of endogenous agmatine and imidazoline receptors in gallbladder smooth muscle.