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  • Experimental evidence and mathematical modeling of thermal effects on human colonic smooth muscle contractility.

Experimental evidence and mathematical modeling of thermal effects on human colonic smooth muscle contractility.

American journal of physiology. Gastrointestinal and liver physiology (2014-05-17)
A Altomare, A Gizzi, M P L Guarino, A Loppini, S Cocca, M Dipaola, R Alloni, M Cicala, S Filippi
ABSTRACT

It has been shown, in animal models, that gastrointestinal tract (GIT) motility is influenced by temperature; nevertheless, the basic mechanism governing thermal GIT smooth muscle responses has not been fully investigated. Studies based on physiologically tuned mathematical models have predicted that thermal inhomogeneity may induce an electrochemical destabilization of peristaltic activity. In the present study, the effect of thermal cooling on human colonic muscle strip (HCMS) contractility was studied. HCMSs were obtained from disease-free margins of resected segments for cancer. After removal of the mucosa and serosa layers, strips were mounted in separate chambers. After 30 min, spontaneous contractions developed, which were measured using force displacement transducers. Temperature was changed every hour (37, 34, and 31°C). The effect of cooling was analyzed on mean contractile activity, oscillation amplitude, frequency, and contraction to ACh (10(-5) M). At 37°C, HCMSs developed a stable phasic contraction (~0.02 Hz) with a significant ACh-elicited mean contractile response (31% and 22% compared with baseline in the circular and longitudinal axis, respectively). At a lower bath temperature, higher mean contractile amplitude was observed, and it increased in the presence of ACh (78% and 43% higher than the basal tone in the circular and longitudinal axis, respectively, at 31°C). A simplified thermochemomechanical model was tuned on experimental data characterizing the stress state coupling the intracellular Ca(2+) concentration to tissue temperature. In conclusion, acute thermal cooling affects colonic muscular function. Further studies are needed to establish the exact mechanisms involved to better understand clinical consequences of hypothermia on intestinal contractile activity.

MATERIALS
Product Number
Brand
Product Description

Sigma-Aldrich
Acetylcholine bromide, ≥99%
Sigma-Aldrich
Acetylcholine iodide, ≥97%
Sigma-Aldrich
Acetylcholine chloride, pkg of 150 mg (per vial)
Sigma-Aldrich
Acetylcholine chloride, ≥99% (TLC)
Sigma-Aldrich
Acetylcholine chloride, suitable for cell culture
Sigma-Aldrich
Acetylcholine chloride, ≥99% (TLC), free-flowing, Redi-Dri
USP
Acetylcholine chloride, United States Pharmacopeia (USP) Reference Standard
Acetylcholine chloride, European Pharmacopoeia (EP) Reference Standard