Contraction and Glycogenolysis of Smooth Muscle

AbstractThe question as to whether smooth muscle contraction is accompanied by intensified glycogenolysis was studied in experiments on rabbit gut, on bovine tracheal muscle, and on mesenteric artery. Under aerobic conditions electrical stimulation augmented the glycogenolysis in these types of smooth muscle. Of tonus‐increasing drugs, only carbacholine enhanced glycogen breakdown in tracheal muscle. Under anaerobic conditions contraction of smooth muscle was not accompanied by glycogenolysis, despite the fact that lactic acid production was increased. Smooth muscle contraction, therefore, was not consistently associated with increased glycogen breakdown. In this respect there seems to be a difference between smooth muscle and striated muscle.