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In vivo and in vitro actions of mammalian tachykinins

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Summary

Recently, two kassinin-like tachykinins have been isolated from mammalian nervous tissue. The potencies of these peptides, substance K (neurokinin α) and neuromedin K (neurokinin β) were compared with those of substance P, eledoisin, and kassinin in various pharmacological systems in vivo and in vitro.

In contracting the isolated guinea-pig ileum and rabbit jejunum the potencies of eledoisin, kassinin, substance K, and neuromedin K were 13–80% that of substance P. In the rat vas deferens substance K and neuromedin K potentiated the electrically induced contractions with potencies similar to those of eledoisin and kassinin; they were 46–236 times as potent as substance P.

In stimulating salivation in the rat after intravenous injection, eledoisin, kassinin, and substance K were respectively 2.3, 1.3 and 0.33 times as potent as substance P. In contrast, neuromedin K exhibited negligible activity. Each peptide tested led to a short fall in blood pressure after intravenous injection in the rabbit, substance P being 12–250 times as potent as the other peptides. Substance P was 20 times as potent as substance K or neuromedin K in inducing vasodilatation in the rat hind paw in vivo.

Of the peptides tested, only substance P (10 nmol/min) significantly increased the release of histamine from the rat isolated hindquarter preparation.

The results are discussed with respect to several theories of tachykinin receptor heterogeneity.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 4, A-8010, Graz, Austria

    U. Holzer-Petsche, E. Schimek, R. Amann & F. Lembeck

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  1. U. Holzer-Petsche
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  2. E. Schimek
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  3. R. Amann
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  4. F. Lembeck
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Additional information

The work was supported by the Austrian Scientific Research Funds, grant No. P5616, by the Austrian National Bank, grant No. 2216, and the Pain Research Commission of the Austrian Academy of Sciences

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Holzer-Petsche, U., Schimek, E., Amann, R. et al. In vivo and in vitro actions of mammalian tachykinins. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch. Pharmacol. 330, 130–135 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00499905

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00499905

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