Inhibitory action of gamma-aminobutyric acid on the excitatory but not inhibitory innervation of the rat anococcygeus muscle.

1 The effects of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), ethylenediamine, 3-aminopropane sulphonic acid and (+/-)-baclofen have been examined on the responses to stimulation of the adrenergic excitatory and non-adrenergic non-cholinergic inhibitory innervation of the rat anococcygeus muscle in vitro. 2 GABA produced a dose-related depression of the contractile responses to field stimulation. Ethylenediamine and baclofen also depressed the contractile responses, though they were less potent than GABA. 3-Aminopropane sulphonic acid was almost inactive. The inhibitory action of GABA was not modified by phentolamine, propranolol or bicuculline methylbromide. 3 GABA did not affect the contractile responses of the anococcygeus muscle to noradrenaline, phenylephrine or carbachol in untreated muscles or those treated with 6-hydroxydopamine in vitro. 4 In preparations in which tone was raised by continuous perfusion with carbachol in the presence of phentolamine, field stimulation relaxed the muscle. GABA had no effect on this inhibitory response, and did not itself produce any relaxation. 5 It is concluded that GABA exerts a presynaptic inhibitory action on the excitatory adrenergic but not on the inhibitory innervation of the anococcygeus muscle, and that the GABA receptor involved exhibits properties of the previously described GABAB site.