Abstract
The inhibitory effect of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) on the isolated intestinal strips of the tortoise (Amyda japonica), rat, rabbit and guinea pig was investigated. 1) The strips from the middle or lower part of the tortoise intestine responded with relaxation to 5-HT $(10^{-9}{\sim}10^{-5}g/ml)$, and the magnitude of the relaxation was proportional to the dose of 5-HT. The rectal part of the tortoise intestine, in contrast, showed contraction, the magnitude of which also was proportional to the dose of 5-HT. 2) Various blocking agents such as methysergide, morphine, tetracaine, nethalide, bretylium, hexamethonium, mecamylamine and chlorisondamine, showed no selective blocking activity on the relaxant effect of 5-HT on the tortoise intestine. The inhibitory effect of isoproterenol on the tortoise intestine, however, was selectively blocked by nethalide, and the stimulatory effect of 5-HT on the rectal part of the tortoise was blocked by methysergide. 3) In the presence of 5-HT, the stimulatory effect of DMPP on the tortoise intestine was remarkably attenuated, whereas that of acetylcholine and $BaCl_2$ was little affected. In the presence of isoproterenol, the stimulatory effect of acetylcholine and $BaCl_2$ were affected, but that of DMPP was little affected. 4) Large dose of 5-HT($10^{-4}$g/ml) produced inhibitory effect on the strips from the distal part of the isolated colon of the rat, rabbit and guinea pig, when the strips had been exposed to 5-HT($10^{-4}$g/ml), methysergide or phen`oxybenzamine. 5) Bretylium, as well as nethalide, abolished or remarkably reduced, in a few cases of the experiments, the inhibitory effect of the large dose of 5-HT on the distal part of the colon, whereas morphine did not affect it. 6) The ileal strips of the guinea pig also showed relaxation, as in the colonic strips, having been exposed to the large dose of 5-HT or phenoxybenzamine. This effect, however, was not obsered in the case of the rabbit ileum. 7) The property of the action-site of 5-HT in the tortoise intestine seemd to be different from the 5-HT receptors which have been revealed by several investigators. 8) Adrenergic component seemed to be participated in the inhibitory effect of 5-HT on the colon of the rat and rabbit.