Tyrosine kinase inhibitor-sensitive contractile action of ethanol in gastric smooth muscle: comparison with the action of epidermal growth factor.

We have evaluated the signal transduction pathways whereby, in comparison with epidermal growth factor-urogastrone, ethanol causes a rapid contractile response in guinea pig gastric longitudinal muscle. As for epidermal growth factor (EGF), the ethanol-induced contraction required extracellular calcium, was sensitive to the tyrosine kinase inhibitors genistein and tyrphostin 47 (AG213), and was blocked by both the cyclo-oxygenase inhibitor, indomethacin, and the diacylglycerol lipase inhibitor, U57908. The 50% effective concentration (EC50) for the contractile action of ethanol (approximately 140 mM) was lower than that for propanol and methanol and was not affected by the aldehyde dehydrogenase inhibitor, 4-methyl pyrazole. The actions of ethanol were distinct from those of EGF in that EGF-induced contractions were sensitive to the kinase C inhibitor GF109203X, and the EGF receptor kinase inhibitor PD153035, whereas ethanol-induced contractions were refractory to these inhibitors. Further, EGF-induced contractions were attenuated by the voltage-sensitive calcium channel antagonist, nifedipine, whereas the ethanol-induced contractile response was resistant to nifedipine but blocked by the "receptor-operated" calcium channel antagonist SKF96365. We conclude that ethanol without metabolism via alcohol dehydrogenase causes a contractile response in gastric longitudinal muscle tissue via a tyrosine kinase inhibitor-sensitive signal pathway that is parallel in many respects but yet is distinct from that activated by EGF.