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The role of extracellular Ca2+ in the tonic-contractile response to muscarinic receptor stimulation was investigated in isolated detrusor smooth muscle from the pig urinary bladder. Carbachol (10(-8)-10(-5) M) produced a concentration-dependent contractile response in isolated pig detrusor smooth muscle strips consisting of an initial phasic component followed by a tonic component. During the plateau of the tonic contractions induced by carbachol at the submaximal concentration of 10(-6) M, the inhibiting effects of atropine, EGTA, nifedipine (a voltage-dependent calcium channel antagonist), H-7 [a protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor] and YM934 (a potassium channel opener) on the contractions were evaluated. Atropine (10(-10)-3 x 10(-8) M) concentration-dependently inhibited the tonic contractions induced by carbachol. In the same experimental conditions, EGTA (4 mM) and nifedipine (10(-9)-3 x 10(-7) M) depressed the tonic contractions in a concentration-dependent manner as did H-7 (10(-5)-3 x 10(-5) M) and YM934 (10(-8)-10(-6) M). However, H-7 (10(-5)-3 x 10(-5) M) and YM934 (10(-6) M) were very weak in inhibiting the contractions induced by KCl (50 mM) in isolated pig detrusor smooth muscle strips. These results suggest that the tonic-contractile response induced by carbachol in pig detrusor smooth muscle strips is dependent mainly on depolarization of the cell membranes and an influx of extracellular Ca2+, and also suggest that this depolarizing response may be due to inactivation of ATP-sensitive potassium channels through muscarinic activation of PKC.

In some diseases in which endothelin-1 (ET-1) production increases (e.g. prostate cancer), ET-1 is considered to be involved in the generation of pain. In the present study, we investigated the effects of a selective endothelin-A receptor antagonist, YM598, on the nociception potentiated by ET-1 in formalin-induced and cancer inoculation-induced pain models in mice. The formalin-induced pain model was prepared by intraplantar injection of 0.7% formalin into the hind paws of ICR mice, and the cancer pain model was prepared by inoculation of the human prostate cancer cell line PPC-1 into the hind paws of severe combined immunodeficiency mice. Formalin caused a biphasic pain response and paw edema in the mouse hind paw. ET-1 (10 pmol/paw) potentiated these responses, and single oral administration of YM598 (0.3-3 mg/kg) significantly inhibited this ET-1-induced potentiation of nociception and paw edema. ET-1 (10 pmol/paw) also potentiated the pain response in prostate cancer-inoculated mice. Both YM598 and atrasentan (0.3-3 mg/kg) significantly inhibited the ET-1-induced potentiation of nociception. These results suggest that selective endothelin-A receptor antagonists relieve pain in patients with various diseases in which ET-1 production increases (e.g. prostate cancer).