Effects of uremic toxins with a low molecular weight on nerve-mediated smooth muscle contractions in vitro

Abstract

In a previous study we demonstrated that blood plasma from an anephric rabbit and uremic patients contains solutes which are capable of depressing the sympathetic nerve-mediated smooth muscle contractions of guinea pigs in vitro. The degree of depression was greater in the blood plasma containing solutes with a molecular weight (MW)of less than 500 daltons.Accordingly,in the first series of the present experiments,the effects of individual uremic toxins (urea,uric acid, creatinine and methylguanidine (MG) on the nerve-mediated smooth muscle contractions were examined in vitro.