The relaxant action of nicorandil in bovine tracheal smooth muscle.

Motonari Yunoki, Tsutomu Nakahara, Hiroshi Moriuchi, Kenji Sakamoto, Kunio Ishii

Index: Pharmacology 89(5-6) , 327-32, (2012)

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Abstract

The relaxant mechanisms of nicorandil were examined by comparing its effects with those of sodium nitroprusside and cromakalim in bovine tracheal smooth muscle. In preparations contracted with methacholine (0.3 μ mol/l) or high K(+)(40 mmol/l), nicorandil and sodium nitroprusside caused concentration-dependent relaxations. Their relaxant effects on high K(+) -contracted preparations were smaller than those on methacholine-contracted muscle. Cromakalim relaxed methacholine-contracted preparations, whereas it had no effect on high K(+) -contracted muscle. The inhibitor of soluble guanylyl cyclase 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ; 5 mol/l) completely prevented the relaxation induced by lower concentrations ( <30 μ mol/l) of nicorandil,whereas it partially attenuated relaxation caused by higher concentrations. The ATP-sensitive K(+) (K(ATP)) channel blocker glibenclamide only partially attenuated the relaxant responses to nicorandil (at 100 and 300 μ mol/l). Combination treatment with ODQ and glibenclamide almost completely prevented nicorandil-induced relaxations. The large-conductance Ca2(+) -activated K(+) channel (Maxi K(+) channel) inhibitor iberiotoxin significantly prevented the relaxations induced by lower concentrations (3 and 10 μ mol/l) of nicorandil. The preventive effect of iberiotoxin was markedly enhanced under the blockade of K(ATP) channels with glibenclamide. These results suggest that nicorandil relaxes bovine tracheal smooth muscle through 2 mechanisms: opening of K(ATP) channels and activation of the nitric oxide (NO)-cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) pathway. Nicorandil may also activate Maxi K(+) channels, possibly through the NO-cGMP pathway, and the interaction of K ATP channels and Maxi K(+) channels may affect the relaxant effect of nicorandilin bovine tracheal smooth muscle.