Mechanism of Atropine-Resistant Contraction Induced by Dai-kenchu-to in Guinea Pig Ileum

Abstract

To clarify the contractile mechanism of Dai-kenchu-to, the effects of hydroxy β-sanshool (an ingredient of Zanthoxylum fruit), Zanthoxylum fruit (a constituent herb of Dai-kenchu-to) and Dai-kenchu-to were studied in mucosa-free longitudinal muscle of guinea pig ileum. Hydroxy β-sanshool at 10⁻⁷ - 10 ⁻⁵ g/ml induced dose-related contractions accompanied by autonomous contraction and produced an initial contraction at a concentration of 10⁻⁴ g/ml or more. The contraction induced by hydroxy β-sanshool (10⁻⁵ g/ml) was significantly inhibited by tetrodotoxin or the capsaicin-receptor antagonist capsazepine. Although atropine or the substance P antagonist spantide tended to inhibit the contraction, a combination of atropine and spantide almost abolished the contraction by hydroxy β-sanshool. The P₂-purinoceptor antagonist pyridoxal-phosphate-6-azophenyl-2',4'-disulphonic acid did not affect hydroxy β-sanshool-induced contraction in the presence or absence of spantide. The tonic contractions by Zanthoxylum fruit (2 × 10⁻⁴ g/ml) and Dai-kenchu-to (10⁻³ g/ml) were significantly inhibited or tended to be inhibited by atropine, spantide, tetrodotoxin or capsazepine and were remarkably suppressed by the combination of atropine and spantide. These results suggested that acetylcholine release from intrinsic cholinergic nerves and tachykinins from sensory neurons are involved in the contractions induced by hydroxy β-sanshool and that tachykinins may be involved in the atropine-resistant contraction by Dai-kenchu-to.