薬理と治療

Abstract

Muscle contractile force by the electrical stimulation or drug has been used as a useful experimental parameter. In this study, we measured the change of the tonus as an index of the contracture of the rat soleus after electrical field stimulation in vitro. The experimental conditions affecting on the contracture, such as the difference between the right and left soleus, the role of oxygen and D︱glucose, and the effects of lutein and astaxanthin, were evaluated. The contracture increased in course of time after electrical field stimulation（10 mV, 1 Hz, duration：0.1 msec）. Significant difference of the contracture was observed between the right and left soleus. By changing oxygen to nitrogen or changing D ︱glucose to 2︱deoxy︱D︱glucose, the contracture was significantly and markedly augmented, respectively. By the pre︱treatment with lutein（100 mg╱kg, p.o.）, the contracture was significantly attenuated, but not by astaxanthin as compared with control. These results show that there is the right and left difference and that glucose and oxygen play important roles to maintain the tonus of the soleus. Moreover, lutein was useful to relief the muscle contracture. Antioxidant effect may not be involved in this relieving effect by lutein, because astaxanthin did not show efficacy.