We describe a new class of drugs that selectively block serotonin M-receptors on peripheral neurones. Because of their high affinity, some of these drugs are the most potent of any pharmacological class yet reported. They have allowed the identification of three M-receptor subtypes, one of which is responsible for mediating the painful effects of serotonin in humans.

The contractile effect of 5-HT in the isolated longitudinal ileal muscle of adult guinea-pigs was studied over a large concentration range. 5-HT produced a biphasic concentration-response curve indicative of an interaction with at least two independent populations of receptors. The concentrations which elicited half-maximal effects for the first and the second phases of the concentration-response curve were estimated as 1.5 +/- 1.2 X 10(-8) mol/l and 1.3 +/- 0.4 X 10(-6) mol/l respectively. The maximal response produced by the interaction of 5-HT with the high affinity receptor (i.e. first phase) was calculated as 27 +/- 9.3% of the total response. The biphasic concentration-response was not influenced by methysergide (10(-6) mol/l). The effect of low concentrations of 5-HT (less than 3 X 10(-7) mol/l) was antagonised by atropine (10(-7) mol/l), tetrodotoxin (TTX) (10(-6) mol/l), morphine (10(-5) mol/l), the substance P antagonist, D-Pro4,D-Trp7,9-SP4-11 (3 X 10(-5) mol/l) and capsaicin (10(-5) mol/l). Physostigmine (10(-7) mol/l) augmented the effect. The response to high concentrations of 5-HT (3 X 10(-7)-3 X 10(-6) mol/l) was antagonised by ICS 205-930 and D-Pro4,D-Trp7,9-SP4-11 in a competitive manner and was inhibited by TTX, morphine and capsaicin in an insurmountable way. The effect of very high concentrations of 5-HT (greater than 10(-5) mol/l) could be partially antagonised by methysergide (10(-7) mol/l) in the presence of ICS 205-930 (10(-7) mol/l) and totally by a combination of methysergide and TTX.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

We investigated the effect of ICS 205-930 [(3 alpha-tropanyl)-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acid ester], a selective antagonist at 5-HT3 receptors, on the cardiogenic hypertensive chemoreflex in the anaesthetized dog. The reflex was elicited by injection of 5-HT (12.5-1600 micrograms) into the left cardiac ventricle and consisted of a dose-dependent systemic hypertension associated with a decrease in heart rate. ICS 205-930 (10, 30, and 100 micrograms/kg i.v.) caused a displacement to the right of both the dose-response curves of 5-HT-induced blood pressure increase and heart rate reduction. Its blocking effects upon the action of 5-HT could be surmounted by increasing the dose of the agonist. The selective 5-HT2 receptor antagonist, ketanserin (0.1 mg/kg i.v.) and the combined 5-HT1 and 5-HT2 receptor antagonist, methiothepin (0.1 mg/kg i.v.) had no influence on the hypertensive reflex. When the reflex was elicited by the ganglionic stimulant, 1,1-dimethyl-4-phenyl-piperazinium (DMPP; 100-1600 micrograms), ICS 205-930 had no blocking effect. The results suggest that the 5-HT-induced cardiogenic hypertensive chemoreflex is mediated by 5-HT3 receptors.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the occurrence and autoregulation of both glucocorticoid receptor mRNAs in rat gastrocnemius muscle. The expression of both receptor forms was studied 1, 4 or 12 hours after intra-tracheal instillation of a high dose (100 micrograms) of budesonide; muscular expression was compared with glucocorticoid receptor expression in lung tissue. After Northern blot analysis, hybridization was performed with glucocorticoid receptor, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and glutamine synthetase probes. In the gastrocnemius muscle, both the alpha and beta glucocorticoid receptor mRNA forms were detected and found to be downregulated four hours after the budesonide instillation. alpha/beta glucocorticoid receptor ratios were lower in the gastrocnemius (1.1 +/- 0.2) than in the lungs (2.6 +/- 0.6). In the lungs, at all time points, the average alpha glucocorticoid receptor mRNA levels did not differ from controls, although glutamine synthetase mRNA levels were upregulated. The beta glucocorticoid receptor mRNA was slightly reduced at 1 and 4 hours. In conclusion, after intra-tracheal instillation of budesonide, both alpha and beta glucocorticoid receptor forms were downregulated in muscle tissue. The difference in alpha/beta glucocorticoid receptor mRNA ratios and concentrations between lung and gastrocnemius muscle supports the hypothesis of differential gene regulation by glucocorticoids in different cell types.

No abstract