The movement of isolated and prepared guinea-pig ilea was observed in respect to changes in rate, amplitude, and tone brought on by the addition of various drugs.
1) Acetylcholine (ACh) at concentrations of 10
-18 to 10
-10 g/ml, induced a remarkable increase in intestinal tone with a subsequent gradual increase in rate and amplitude.
2) Methionine, at concentrations of 10
-7 to 10
-4, had a similar effect.
3) Atropine, at 10
-8 to 10
-6, was antagonistic partly to the effects of methionine and completely to those of ACh. The effect of methionine and ACh were not influenced by Imidalin or hexamethonium.
4) The increase in intestinal tone induced by ACh was augmented by the presence of methionine.
5) Nicotine increased the intestinal tone and then decreased it. The former effect was antagonized by atropine, the latter by Imidalin, and both effects were completely eliminated by hexamethonium. In the presence of methionine, the former effect was augmented and the latter was diminished.
6) DMPP showed an effect similar to that of nicotine.
7) The intestinal tone increased by histamine was decreased by the presence of Benadrin, but was augmented by that of methionine.
8) Adrenaline in concentrations lower than 10
-8 depressed the intestinal movement, but after the wash out of the drug amplitude and rate were increased. But adrenaline at 10-6 induced an increase in intestinal tone and a decrease in rate and amplitude. The latter effect of adrenaline was augmented by the presence of methionine, but both the former and latter effects were lessened by the presence of Imidalin.
9) Isoproterenol in high concentrations decrease the intestinal tone.
The grade of the effect corresponded to that of the drug concentration. The isoproterenol effect was depressed by Imidalin, and was not influenced by methionine. In the presence of isoproterenol, the dual effects of adrenaline above mentioned were augmented, but the effect of ACh was suppressed.
10) Dichloroisoproterenol (DCI) suppressed the intestinal movement and the effect was not influenced by the presence of Imidalin. The tone decreasing effect of adrenaline was lessened by the presence of DCI at 10
-7 to 10
-6, but the tone increasing effect of adrenaline was augmented by DCI.11) Reserpine at 10
-5 to 3×10
-5 gradually suppressed the intestinal movement until the drug arrested it with a decrease in tone. The effect of reserpine remained in the preparation after repeated wash out. In the presence of reserpine, the tone increasing effect of adrenaline, acetylcholine, nicotine, methionine, or histamine was generally decreased.
12) The intestinal preparations from reserpine 1mg/kg pretreated guinea-pigs showed irregularity in movement. The tone increasing effect of adrenaline or histamine was augmented by reserpine pretreatment, but the tone increasing effect of acetylcholine, nicotine, or methionine was suppressed.
The conclusions are: (1) the most important active substance evoking intestinal movement may be an endogenous acetylcholine which may be aided by an endogenous adrenaline and also by methionine. (2) the tone decreasing effect of isoproterenol or adrenaline may be caused by the membrane β-receptor stimulation. (3) reserpine may have a blocking effect on endogenous acetylcholine, catecholamines, or methionine and may thus disturb the physiologic metabolism of these essential substances in the intestinal cells.
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