Phosphorus-31 NMR studies of smooth muscle from guinea-pig taenia coli

Phosphorus-31 NMR spectra of superfused isometrically mounted guinea-pig taenia coli were obtained using a horizontal probe at 103.2 MHz. The spectra showed resonances for ATP, phosphocreatine (PCr), and a sugar phosphate resonance. The PCr/ATP ratio was between 1.5 and 2.0 consistent with chemical analysis of tissue extracts. The level of PCr, but not of ATP, decreases reversibly during contraction or inhibition of respiration. These conditions did not cause substantial changes in the intracellular pH, which was 7.0 +/- 0.1.