Inhibition of spontaneous smooth muscle contractions in rat and rabbit intestine by blockers of the thromboxane A2 pathway

The effect of inhibitors of the thromboxane A2 pathway on spontaneous contractions of intestinal smooth muscle preparations was studied. The thromboxane A2 antagonists Bay u3405, SK and F 88046 and KW-3635 concentration-dependently inhibited both the amplitude and the frequency of spontaneous contractions of the longitudinal muscle from the rat proximal colon. A concentration-dependent inhibition of the myogenic contractions was also observed with the thromboxane A2 synthase inhibitor U-51605, and with the combined cyclooxygenase/lipoxygenase inhibitor nordihydroguaiaretic acid, whereas indomethacin, a pure cyclooxygenase inhibitor, was ineffective. None of these inhibitors affected the contractile response evoked by the cholinergic agonist carbachol, excluding non-specific actions on intestinal motility. A similar response was observed for the rabbit jejunum, which, in contrast to the rat colon, exhibits more regular, high-frequency spontaneous contractions, which were inhibited by Bay u3405, SK and F 88046 and KW-3635 in a concentration-dependent manner, whereas the response to carbachol remained unaffected. These results suggest a role for thromboxane A2 in the generation and/or facilitation of spontaneous smooth muscle contractions in the gut.