Drug interactions in cat isolated tracheal smooth muscle

1. The interactions between some drugs that contract and relax airways smooth muscle have been investigated in the cat isolated trachea. 2. Isoprenaline and theophylline inhibited serotonin-elicited contractions more than acetylcholine-mediated responses. This was observed both in terms of the degree of inhibition and the concentration of the relaxant drug producing this inhibition. 3. The acetylcholine- and serotonin-induced contractions were inhibited more by theophylline than by isoprenaline displaced acetylcholine and serotonin response curves to the right whereas theophylline caused a flattening of the curves. 4. Isoprenaline was more effective in hibiting serotonin contractions than acetylcholine contractions when the tracheas were bathed in K+ depolarizing solution, suggesting that the difference in the suscepbibility of serotonin and acetylcholine contractions to isoprenaline was not dependent on the electrical membrane potential. 5. Isoprenaline inhibited the tonic component of acetylcholine contractions more than the phasic component. 6. The differences in the pharmacological responses to the contractile and relaxant drugs in cat tracheal preparations provide further examples in smooth muscle of different mechanisms by which acetylcholine and serotonin induce contraction and isoprenaline and theophylline relaxation.