ARTICLES

Effects of cholecystokinin, gastrin, and related peptides on coho salmon gallbladder contraction in vitro

Isometric contractions of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) gallbladder longitudinal muscle strips were recorded in response to porcine cholecystokinin (CCK), octapeptide of CCK (OP-CCK), desulfated octapeptide of CCK (ds-OP-CCK), porcine heptadecapeptide gastrins I and II, and pentagastrin. Peak tonic contraction amplitude and peak rhythmic contraction frequency were used to construct concentration-response curves for each peptide. Observed maximal responses to each peptide were not significantly different; therefore, all peptides tested were equal in efficacy. CCK, OP-CCK, and gastrin II were equipotent, and ds-OP-CCK and gastrin I were equipotent. Conclusions: 1) porcine CCK can stimulate contraction of the coho salmon gallbladder; 2) tonic and rhythmic contractile responses are elicited in coho salmon gallbladder by agonists; 3) coho salmon gallbladder muscle cannot distinguish between agonists that differ in the location of a sulfated tyrosyl residue at position 6 versus position 7 from the C-terminus; and 4) the results of this study are consistent with the hypothesis that coho salmon gallbladder muscle contains a relatively primitive CCK receptor.