Characterization of capsaicin-induced, capsazepine-insensitive relaxation of ileal smooth muscle of rats

Abstract The mechanisms underlying the capsaicin-induced relaxation of the acetylcholine- as well as KCl-contraction were studied by measuring isometric force and phosphorylation of 20-kDa regulatory light chain subunit of myosin (MLC 20 ) in ileal longitudinal smooth muscles of rats. Capsaicin relaxed acetylcholine- and KCl-stimulated preparations in a concentration-dependent manner; the former was less sensitive to capsaicin than the latter and maximum responses to capsaicin (a percentage of papaverine-induced relaxation) were 70.6±7.5%, n =10 and 97.1±0.9%, n =13, P 2+ channels as well. The relaxant effect of capsaicin was not inhibited by capsazepine (a selective antagonist of vanilloid VR1 receptors), nitro- l -arginine, indomethacin, guanethidine, nor by inhibitors of soluble guanylate cyclase. Capsaicin inhibited acetylcholine-induced transient contraction in a Ca 2+ -free, EGTA solution. Phosphorylation of MLC 20 (a percentage of phosphorylated to total MLC 20 ) was increased 1 min after application of 10 μM acetylcholine (7.8±2.0%, n =6 vs. 22.6±3.2%, n =6) and of 65.9 mM KCl (2.2±0.3%, n =8 vs. 10.7±1.7%, n =12). Capsaicin reduced the KCl-induced increase more markedly than acetylcholine-induced increase in MLC 20 phosphorylation. When the tissue was contracted for 20 min with acetylcholine, MLC 20 phosphorylation was increased, and capsaicin reduced markedly the contraction and abolished MLC 20 phosphorylation both elicited by acetylcholine. It is suggested that capsaicin relaxes the rat ileum via its direct action on smooth muscle, and that capsaicin inhibits contractile mechanisms involving extracellular Ca 2+ influx via non-L-type Ca 2+ channels, possibly via store-operated Ca 2+ channels and Ca 2+ release from intracellular storage sites. The effects of capsaicin on acetylcholine- and KCl-induced contraction could be explained by a decrease in MLC 20 phosphorylation.