Possible functional role of substance P on the mammalian motor nerve terminals

The effect of substance P (sP) on mammalian skeletal myoneural transmission was studied employing innervated and denervated isolated rat diaphragm preparations. sP at a concentration of 3.7 nM facilitated the indirect twitch responses of the rat diaphragm and antagonised the paralytic effect of d-tubocurarine (d-Tc). sP failed to affect the direct twitch responses as well as the contractures induced by acetylcholine (ACh) and potassium chloride (KCl) in the denervated diaphragm. The amount of ACh released into the bathing medium in response to tetanic stimulation of the phrenic nerve was doubled in presence of sP. The study illustrates a presynaptic facilitatory involvement of sP on mammalian myoneural transmission.