Effect of different treatments in calcium-free medium on basal tone and contractile responses of guinea pig tracheae.

Acetylcholine (ACh; 0.1 mmol/l) and KCl (80 mmol/l) induce a biphasic contractile response in isolated guinea pig tracheae maintained at 37 degrees C either in the presence or absence of extracellular Ca2+. Exposure of the tissue to Ca(2+)-free solution evokes a significant decrease in basal tone and the sources of Ca2+ appear to be decreased by prolonged agonist stimulation, and even more by successive agonist stimulation. After an incubation period of 20 min in Ca(2+)-containing solution, the response is restored. Mg(2+)-depletion in Ca(2+)-free medium increased the contractile response to ACh, but not to KCl, and delayed the tonic component of the next contraction elicited in Ca(2+)-containing solution.