Comparative effects of leucomyosuppressin on the visceral muscle systems of the cockroach Leucophaea maderae

Abstract

1. Leucomyosuppressin (LMS) did not inhibit the spontaneous contractions of visceral muscles of the cockroach Leucophaea maderae uniformly as a group but rather showed a selective suppression of activity in the foregut and hindgut. The threshold of LMS inhibition for these organs was 10 −11 M for the foregut and 3 × 10 −11 M for the hindgut. The maximum response for each organ was generally recorded at 2.4 × 10 −11 M. 2. Both the heart and the oviduct were 100–1000 times less sensitive to LMS than either the foregut or the hindgut. Although the responses of the heart to LMS (10 −9 to 10 −8 M) were somewhat inconsistent, the myocardium showed a reduction in either the amplitude or frequency of contractions in 75% of the preparations tested. The oviduct showed the lowest level of responsiveness of all the muscles tested. Even at a concentration of 10 −7 M LMS, the amplitude and frequency of contractions showed no more than a 58% inhibition. 3. Desensitization to LMS was observed in three of the four muscle types tested. The phenomenon occurred in 37% of the foreguts, 34% of the hindguts and 54% of the heart preparations tested. The results of this study show that each visceral muscle type has its own unique response profile to LMS and support the idea that peptides may be multifunctional regulators.