1. When the vas deferens isolated from male guinea-pig was set on a Magnus'apparatus in an isotonic sucrose medium saturated with pure oxygen at 30 to 31 °C, the addition of potassium chloride at small amount as 5.6 mM could induce the contraction in the preparation. As the medium contained only 0.07% sodium bicarbonate f and 0.1% glucose, it was clear that the potassium ions played a leading role in the contraction process of the smooth muscle.
2. When calcium or sodium chlo ride was added in place of the potassium chloride, each of them could scarcely induce the contraction at each any concentration, and, moreover, when the calcium chloride at the concenntrations more than 1.7 mM or the sodium chloride at the concentrations more than 10.1 mM was pre-added to the sucrose medium, the potassium iuduced contraction could be scarcely seen.
3. From the dose-response curve of the preparation to the added po tassium chloride doses and the influence of the pre-added calcium chloride at 0.55 mM on it, the potassium action may be competetively antagonized by the calcium ions on the probable receptor for potassium in the tissue.
4. The similar action to tha t of the potassium chloride was seen when rubidium chloride at 1.5mM or cesium chloride at 3.0mM was added in place of the potassium chloride. Their actions at these amounts were, however, scarcely influenced by the pre-added calcium chloride.
5. The potassium induced contraction was seen even when the preparation had been kept in the isotonic sucrose medium whose pH was adjusted by tris-HCI buffer in place of by the sodium bicarbonate.
6. From these results, it was assumed that the potassium ions may be the essential ions in the initiation of the contraction process in the smooth muscle but that calcium ions or sodium ions may inhibit the initiation of this contraction process.
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