MEDICAL PHYSIOLOGY

Guyton & Hall text book of Medical Physiology 13th edition

NESAR A. ZAHIER, MD, PGD

Lecturer KUMS

1
‫بسم هللا الرحمن الرحیم‬

‫‪2‬‬
EXCITATION & CONTRACTION -8
OF SMOOTH MUSCLE
 SMOOTH MUSCLES

 Multi unit
 Control by nerve signals mostly
 Layer of basement membrane
(collage + glycoprotein)
 Ciliary, iris muscle, piloerecter
 Single unit (unitary)
 Syncytial or visceral (gap junction)
 Non nervous signals mostly
 Found in Viscera
 CONTRACTILE MECHANISM
 Actin + myosin (no troponin complex)
 Extracellular Ca++
 Less ATP
Physical Basis for Smooth Muscle Contraction
 No striated arrangements  actin connected to
dense bodies = Z lines
 Sidepolars can pull actin in one direction and
other in opposite direction  to contract upto
80% its length (skeletal <30%)
…Continued
 Comparison of Smooth Muscle Contraction and Skeletal
Muscle Contraction  prolonged tonic contractions
1. Slow cycling of cross-bridges because of less ATPase activity 1/10-
1/300
2. Low energy requirement  1/10 -1/300 energy is required
3. Slowness of onset of contraction & relaxation  slow response to
Ca++
4. Max force of contraction is greater  prolonged attachment of
the myosin cross-bridges to actin = 4-6kg/cm2
5. Stress relation in hollow organs  despite increasing stress,
pressure became normal in less than 1 min.
 Contraction Of Smooth
Muscle
Ca
 Excitation + contraction coupling
 Calmodulin
No troponins  Calmodulin
 Calcium Ions Combine with
Calmodulin to Cause Activation of
Myosin Kinase (MLCK) and
Phosphorylation of the Myosin
Head  PULLING OF ACTIN
 Source of Ca ions that cause
contraction
 SR is slightly developed
 Mostly dependent on extracellular
Ca
Relaxation of smooth muscle
1. Calcium pump  ECF & SR
2. Myosin phosphatase  cessation of
contraction
 Latch phenomenon = more myosin
kinase & myosin phosphatase
activated  velocity of
contraction more  when enzymes
inactivated  number of heads
attached to actin determine static
force, tension is maintained or
Latched without ATP  tone
maintained
Regulation of CONTRACTION
 Nervous signals
 Hormonal stimulation
 Stretch
 Local chemicals

1. Neuromuscular junctions of smooth muscle

 Autonomic system  branch diffusely on
top sheet of muscle fibers 
neuromuscular receptor  gap junctions
 Excitatory and Inhibitory Transmitter
Substances Secreted at the Smooth Muscle
Neuromuscular Junction  excitatory &
inhibitory receptors for acetylcholine &
norepinephrine
 ACTION POTENTIALS
 Membrane potential in smooth muscle -50 -60 /
30mV less than skeletal muscle
 Action potential dependent on Ca++

A. Action potential unitary muscles

1. Spike potential (10-50msec)
2. Action potential with plateaus (1000msec) 
ureter
3. Spontaneous generation of action potential  -
60 to -35 mV spontaneously then rapid stroke 
pacemaker waves  gut
…Continued
B. Action potential of multi-unit
smooth muscle
 No action potential
 Very small muscles  ciliary, iris
muscles and piloerector muscles
 Mainly response to nerve stimuli 
acetylcholine & norepinephrine 
depolarization of membrane 
contraction without generating
action potential
Other regulators

 Effect of Local Tissue Factors and Hormones

Local tissue chemical factors  O2, CO2 and H+ …
 vasodilation
 Various hormones  norepinephrine,
epinephrine, acetylcholine, angiotensin II….
THANKS