The effect of an acid extract of the carp intestinal bulb (ECI) on guinea-pig ileum longitudinal smooth muscle (GPLM) and carp intestinal bulb longitudinal smooth muscle (CIBLM) was examined. 2. ECI caused a concentration-dependent contraction of GPLM and CIBLM. This ECI-induced response was reduced by atropine to 30-40% of the control, indicating that part of the contracting activity of ECI is attributable to acetylcholine. The atropine-resistant contracting activity of ECI was not mediated by histamine, 5-hydroxytryptamine, ATP, ADP, angiotensin II, neurotensin, vasoactive intestinal peptide or an opioid peptide. 3. The active material mediating the atropine-resistant contracting activity is probably a peptide, because the contraction in response to ECI was abolished on incubation with pepsin or alpha-chymotrypsin. 4. [D-Pro2, D-Trp7,9]-substance P, [D-Pro4, D-Trp7,9]-substance P (4-11) decreased the atropine-resistant contracting activity of ECI as did desensitization induced by substance P. 5. On a Sephadex G 25 column, the active material was eluted as one peak. The active fractions were pooled and then applied to another Sephadex G25 column to compare the Ve/Vo value for the active material with those for peptides of known molecular weights. The molecular weight of the active material was estimated to be 1200-1700 (1410 +/- 70, n = 6). 6. The results indicate the presence of a substance P-like peptide in the carp intestinal bulb.
