Effect of ambrein on smooth muscle responses to various agonists

Journal of Ethnopharmacology
S A TahaI E El-Khawad

Abstract

The pharmacological effects of ambrein (isolated from ambergris) on the contractile responses induced by some agonists in smooth muscle preparations were investigated. Ambrein in the concentration range of 10, 50 and 250 microg/ml decreased the spontaneous contraction of the isolated rabbit jejunum, rat uterus and guinea-pig vas deferens. Ambrein-induced antagonism to acetylcholine (Ach) in the guinea-pig ileum was abolished when the concentration of calcium chloride in the Tyrode's solution was increased to 5 mM/l. Furthermore, ambrein did not antagonise nicotine-induced contractions in the isolated rabbit jejunum or serotonin-induced contractions in the isolated guinea-pig ileum and vas deferens or the rat uterus. However, ambrein in the concentration range of 10, 50 and 250 microg/ml antagonised prostaglandins (PGs) E2, D2, F2alpha, and oxytocin-induced contractions in the rat uterus in vitro. Ambrein also antagonised (+/-) noradrenaline and (-) adrenaline-induced contractions in the isolated guinea-pig vas deferens. It is concluded that ambrein-induced non-selective dose-dependent antagonism to the effects of some agonists (Ach, adrenaline, noradrenaline, PGs and oxytocin) in some smooth muscles may be due to the ability of...Continue Reading

References

Jul 1, 1977·Medical Hypotheses·D F HorrobinJ P Mtabaji
Sep 1, 1982·Isis; an International Review Devoted to the History of Science and Its Cultural Influences·K H Dannenfeldt

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Citations

Jan 5, 2002·Clinical Autonomic Research : Official Journal of the Clinical Autonomic Research Society·P Sandroni
Oct 3, 2009·The Journal of Sexual Medicine·Rany Shamloul
Apr 6, 2007·Food and Chemical Toxicology : an International Journal Published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association·Muhammad RazaAbdullah A Alghasham
Jan 23, 2018·Natural Product Research·Steven J RowlandAlan G Scarlett

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