The transient contractile response of the isolated rat tail artery to inhibition of the sodium pump.

The isolated rat tail artery responds to incubation in 1 mM ouabain containing, K-free physiological salt solution by transient contraction which is due to release of endogenous catecholamines. The eventual decline in active tension cannot be attributed solely to the decreasing rate of release of endogenous catecholamines, for the latter remains quite high even after the preparation has relaxed completely. It seems, therefore, that the relaxation is due also to the substantial decrease in the responsiveness of smooth muscle cells to (-)-norepinephrine that accompanies dissipation of the transmembrane gradients of Na+ and K+.