Dissociation of contraction and muscarinic receptor binding to isolated smooth muscle cells

We examined changes in [3H]QNB binding and cell length induced by muscarinic ligands in a suspension of single smooth muscle cells isolated from the canine stomach. Cells contracted following a brief (30 s) exposure to picomolar concentrations of muscarinic agonists and yielded ED50 values of 1.0 +/- 0.7 pM for oxotremorine, 12.5 +/- 1.8 pM for carbachol, and 16.0 +/- 2.9 pM for metacholine. Contraction was inhibited by atropine with a pA2 …