TY - JOUR PY - 2018// TI - Effects of the venom of the brown bullhead catfish (Ameiurus nebulosus) on isolated smooth muscles JO - Acta biologica Hungarica A1 - Barthó, Loránd A1 - Sándor, Zsolt A1 - Bencsik, Timea SP - 135 EP - 143 VL - 69 IS - 2 N2 - Aqueous extract of the spines of the brown bullhead catfish (Ameiurus nebulosus Lesueur, 1819) caused contraction of the guinea-pig small intestine in vitro, a widely-used preparation in pharmacology. The action is dependent on extracellular Ca2+, and probably takes place on the smooth muscle cells. Mouse gastrointestinal preparations were also contracted by the extract. Stings by the spines of this fish species causes a painful sensation in man. We tested the effect of an extract of spines in isolated organ experiments on innervated smooth muscle preparations. In the guinea-pig ileum, the response to the extract was abolished by the Ca2+-channel blocker nifedipine, but only slightly reduced by atropine (a muscarine receptor antagonist) or tetrodotoxin (TTX; a blocker axonal conduction) or antagonists for P2X purinoceptors. Blocking of serotonin or histamine H1 receptors, tachykinin NK1 receptors, functional impairment of capsaicin-sensitive sensory nerve endings or inhibition of cyclo-oxygenases failed to influence the contractile effect of the extract. No inhibitory action of the extract was detected on the ileum subject to electrical motor nerve stimulation.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 0236-5383 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1556/018.69.2018.2.3 ID - ref1 ER -