Blockade of electrical field stimulation-induced nonadrenergic noncholinergic (NANC) excitatory response of the guinea pig ileum.

Determination of guinea pig ileal response to electrical field stimulation (EFS) before and after complete adrenergic and cholinergic blockade showed that the nonadrenergic noncholinergic excitatory (NANC-e) response contributed 40% to the total contractile response. NANC-e responses were reproducible to consecutive identical EFS. Tetrodotoxin significantly blocked the NANC-e response. The NANC-e responses obtained before and after treatment of the tissues with receptor antagonists of histamine (pyrilamine), substance P ([D-Arg1,D-Pro2,D-Trp7,9,Leu11]-SP) and serotonin (5-HT1 & 5-HT2) indicated that the response could be blocked by substance P and serotonin antagonists. Only the serotonin antagonist cyproheptadine produced a dose-dependent blockade. Both substance P and serotonin are suggested to play an important role in the NANC-e neurotransmission.