These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.
Pubmed for Handhelds
PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS
Search MEDLINE/PubMed
Title: A local anesthetic, tetracaine, similarly inhibits Ag+ and K+ contractures in frog skeletal muscle. Author: Oba T, Aoki T, Liu GH, Hotta K. Journal: Jpn J Physiol; 1987; 37(6):995-1003. PubMed ID: 3502655. Abstract: To evaluate usefulness of Ag+ contracture as a tool for elucidating the mechanism underlying the excitation-contraction coupling, the effects of tetracaine on Ag+ contracture were compared with those on K+ and caffeine contractures in frog skeletal muscle. Tetracaine less than 100 microM shortened the duration of 120 mM K+ contracture, without affecting tension amplitude. At higher concentrations of tetracaine, K+ contracture was inhibited dose-dependently and the duration shortened. Treatment of the fibers with 20-500 microM tetracaine for 3 min did not block the contracture induced by 25 mM caffeine. Effects of tetracaine on Ag+ contracture were similar to those on K+ contracture. In the presence of 200 microM tetracaine, 41% inhibition was observed in 120 mM K+ contracture, while 43% in 100 microM Ag+ contracture. Also, 200 microM tetracaine completely inhibited the contractures induced by 40 mM K+ or 5 microM Ag+. These findings suggest that the Ag+ may induce contractures via its action on the T/SR junction, not a direct action on the SR. Therefore, understanding the mechanism involved in the development of Ag+ contracture would be helpful to elucidate the mechanism of excitation-contraction coupling.[Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]