Action of acetylcholine on smooth muscle

Contraction of smooth muscle by acetylcholine is mediated by activation of muscarinic receptors of which M2 and M3 subtypes are present in longitudinal muscle of guinea pig intestine. In single cells, muscarinic receptor activation evokes calcium release from stores which raises the internal free calcium concentration and causes opening of calcium-activated potassium channels. The rise in internal calcium suppresses the voltage-dependent inward calcium current. A third important effect is the opening of channels which cause depolarization of the membrane and so increase action potential discharge and contraction in the whole muscle. These channels were studied by voltage-clamp of single cells from longitudinal muscle of rabbit small intestine. They were found to be permeable to Na and K but not detectably permeable to Cl. They can pass Ca but the amount entering the cell is not sufficient to raise the internal calcium concentration appreciably.