Cholecystokinin contracts isolated human and monkey iris sphincters; a study with CCK receptor antagonists

The contractile effects of cholecystokinin (CCK) on iris sphincter and ciliary muscles from monkey and human eyes were studied using an isolated smooth muscle bath. The ability of the CCKA receptor antagonists, lorglumide and loxiglumide, to inhibit CCK-8s-induced contraction was also examined. Various neuropeptides reported to be present in capsaicin-sensitive sensory neurons were also screened for contractile effect. CCK contracted isolated human and monkey iris sphincters at nM concentrations. Both antagonists caused a rightward shift of the dose-response curve for CCK-8s on the monkey iris sphincter. The ciliary muscle from both species failed to contract in response to CCK-8s. Of the eight other neuropeptides screened on the monkey iris sphincter, only [Arg8]vasopressin elicited a weak contraction when used in microM concentrations. These results indicate that the primate iridial sphincter muscle exhibits a high sensitivity to CCK, and that CCKA receptor antagonists effectively block the CCK-induced contraction.