Abstract
Guinea‐pig ileum suspended in Krebs solution showed a continuous increase of tone which was lost by changing the bath fluid. Prostaglandin E2 was released from the ileum during incubation, and its concentration in the bath fluid appeared to correlate with the increase in tone. Supramaximal field stimulation (10 Hz) resulted in increased release of prostaglandin E2 from the ileum. At lower rates of stimulation, the increase in the release of E2 compared with the resting output was not significant. Indomethacin (1 and 10 μg/ml) produced a significant, dose‐related reduction of the amount of prostaglandin E2 measured in the bath fluid at rest and with field stimulation. Indomethacin inhibited the contraction of the ileum during incubation in Krebs solution. Indomethacin (10 and 20 μg/ml) had no significant effect on the release of acetylcholine during field stimulation, but reduced the resting output of acetylcholine from guinea‐pig ileum in some experiments. The results are discussed in the context of the role ascribed to prostaglandins as physiological modulators in transmitter release. No evidence for a prostaglandin‐mediated negative feedback mechanism on acetylcholine release was obtained.

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