Abstract
Effects of nicotine on the delayed gastric contraction due to vagal afferent stimulation were studied. Cats were pretreated with phentolamine (2 mg/kg, i.v.) and propranolol (1 mg/kg, i.v.). The delayed contraction was inhibited by nicotine (100 to 2000 μg/kg, i.v.) in a dose-dependent manner. The inhibition of the delayed contraction by nicotine was blocked by hexamethonium (20 mg/kg, i.v.). The results suggested that nicotine inhibits the delayed contraction by activation of hexamethonium-sensitive inhibitory neurons in the vagal pathway to the stomach.
