Abstract
The influences of $Ca^{2+}-antagonists$, verapamil and $Mn^{2+}$, upon the spontaneous electrical activity and contractions were studied in guinea-pig taenia coli. Spontaneous contractions were recorded with force transducer, and spike action potentials were measured extracellularly by use of suction electrode. All experiments were performed in tris-buffered Tyrode solution Which was aerated With 100% $O_2$ and kept at $35^{\circ}C$. The results obtained were as follows : 1) Verapamil suppressed the frequency and amplitude of spontaneous contractions dose dependently, and blocked completely mechanical responses at the concentration of 1 mg/1. 2) The frequency of bursts of spike discharge(bursts frequency) and the number of spikes in a burst(spikes frequency) were reduced in a dose·dependent manner within the concentration range of $10^{-5}$ to $10^{-3}g/l$, and bursts frequency was affected more readily at a low concentration of $10^{-5}g/l$ verapamil. 3) The verapamil_induced suppression of spontaneous contractions in the Tyrode solution containing 1 mM $Ca^{2+}$ was completely antagonized by the addition of extra $Ca^{2+}$ to the Tyrode solution $(2\;m\;MCa^{2+})$. 4) $Mn^{2+}$ suppressed the amplitude of spontaneous contractions, whereas $Mn^{2+}$ accelerated the frequency dose-dependently within the range of low concentrations$(10^{-7}\;to\;10^{-4}\;M\;Mn^{2+})$. 5) The bursts frequency determining frequency of spontaneous contractions was increased in a dose-dependent manner, whereas the spikes frequency known to determine the contractions amplitude was reduced within the range of low concentrations. At a high concentration of 1 mM $Mn^{2+}$, however, all spontaneous contractile responses were blocked simultaneously with the disapperance of electrical activity. 6) The frequency and amplitude of spontaneous contractions altered by $Mn^{2+}$ in 1mM $Ca^{2+}$ Tyrode were increased by extra $Ca^{2+}(2mM)$.