Inhibitory innervation to the guinea pig trachealis muscle.

The inhibitory innervation of the cervical trachea was studied in situ in anesthetized male guinea pigs. We measured effects of electrical stimulation of vagal motor and sympathetic trunk nerve fibers, during atropine, on trachealis muscle tension. Effects of direct transmural stimulation of trachealis muscle were also determined. We confirmed the dual nature of the inhibitory innervation to this muscle. Vagal motor inhibitory nerves are shown to be preganglionic. Neural transmission at the level of the ganglia is characterized by filtering of high frequency action potentials. The neurotransmitter at the myoneural junction is unidentified but is not norepinephrine. Maximal relaxation accounts for about 20-40% of maximal relaxations seen with transmural stimulation of trachealis muscle in the presence of atropine. Sympathetic trunk nerve fibers are also preganglionic. Neurotransmission at the level of the ganglia is apparently 1:1 at high-action potential frequencies. Norepinephrine released presynaptically has access to smooth muscle beta- but not alpha-receptors. Maximal adrenergic relaxations account for 60-80% of total transmural stimulation relaxations. Transmural stimulation relaxations appear to be accounted for by release of neurotransmitter from sympathetic adrenergic plus vagal nonadrenergic postganglionic nerve fibers.