Mechanism of N-ethylmaleimide-induced contraction of the frog sartorius muscle

Abstract

We studied parameters of the frog sartorius muscle contraction initiated by ryanodine receptor agonists in the presence of ROS donors. We hypothesized that sodium nitroprusside and hydrogen peroxide inhibit initiation of contractions by N-ethylmaleimide and that this effect of ROS donors on parameters of N-ethylmaleimide-induced contractions is due to a direct effects of sodium nitroprusside and hydrogen peroxide on N-ethylmaleimide, but not to inactivation of ryanodine receptors in the sarcoplasmatic reticulum of frog skeletal muscle.