Effects of Iodoacetate on Spontaneous Electrical Activity, Slow Wave, in the Circular Muscle of the Guinea-Pig Gastric Antrum

In the circular muscle of the guinea-pig gastric antrum, the contribution of glycolysis to spontaneous electrical activity, slow wave, was studied. The slow wave could be maintained without a marked change in glucose-free solution for more than 1 h even when treated with iodoacetic acid (IAA, 0.1–0.5 mm). However, reapplication of glucose following the IAA treatment produced clear inhibitory effects on the slow wave. Lactate release from the tissue was reduced to about 10% of the control by IAA (0.1 mm) in the absence of glucose and there was very slow recovery on glucose reapplication. This suggests that IAA did not block glycolysis completely and that the inhibition of slow wave was mainly due to the accumulation of some metabolites. Small electrical activity often remained during the inhibition by IAA and glucose. When the excitability of the smooth muscle was increased by Co2+ application or Na+ removal, slow wave-like activity could be generated under the condition in which the slow wave was strongly inhibited by IAA and glucose. These results may be explained by assuming that the accumulation of glycolytic metabolites decreases the excitability of smooth muscle cells and also reduces the driving potential generated in the interstitial cells of Cajal to a subthreshold level for the slow wave in the smooth muscle cells.