Excitation and
contraction of
smooth muscle
Dr Farzana Majeed
AP Physiology
Smooth muscle-structure
Smooth muscle is made up of
fusiform (diamond-shaped) cells
with a single nucleus. The cells
are arranged in sheets and
contain three filament types:
a) actin filaments with no troponin and tropomyosin (5 - 8
times more actin than skeletal muscle).
b) long myosin filaments
c) filaments of intermediate size which do not take part in
contraction
Microscopic Structure
• Spindle-shaped fibers: thin and short compared with skeletal
muscle fibers
• Connective tissue: endomysium only
• SR: less developed than in skeletal muscle
• Pouch like infoldings (caveolae) of sarcolemma sequester Ca2+
• No sarcomeres or T tubules
Innervation of Smooth Muscle
• Autonomic nerve fibers innervate
smooth muscle at diffuse junctions
• Varicosities (bulbous swellings) of nerve
fibers store and release
neurotransmitters
Varicosities
Autonomic Smooth
nerve fibers muscle
innervate cell
most smooth
muscle fibers.
Synaptic Mitochondrion Varicosities release
vesicles their neurotransmitters
into a wide synaptic
cleft (a diffuse junction).
Figure 9.27
Myofilaments in Smooth Muscle
• Ratio of thick to thin filaments (1:13) is much lower than in
skeletal muscle (1:2)
• Thick filaments have heads along their entire length
• No troponin complex; protein calmodulin binds Ca2+
Myofilaments in Smooth Muscle
• Myofilaments are spirally arranged, causing smooth muscle
to contract in a corkscrew manner
• Dense bodies: proteins that anchor noncontractile
intermediate filaments to sarcolemma at regular intervals –
the dense bodies also attach to the Actin filaments – thus
acting as a type of Z-line
Figure 9.28a
Figure 9.28b
Types of Smooth Muscle
Single-unit (visceral) Multiunit smooth muscle:
smooth muscle: • Located in large airways,
• Sheets contract large arteries, erector pili
rhythmically as a unit (gap muscles, and iris of eye
junctions) • Gap junctions are rare
• Often exhibit spontaneous • Arranged in motor units
action potentials
• Graded contractions
• Arranged in opposing
occur in response to
sheets and exhibit stress-
neural stimuli
relaxation response
Contraction of Smooth Muscle
• Sliding filament mechanism
• Final trigger is intracellular Ca2+
• Ca2+ is obtained from the SR and extracellular space
Role of Calcium Ions
• Ca2+ binds to and activates calmodulin
• Activated calmodulin activates myosin (light chain) kinase
• Activated kinase phosphorylates and activates myosin
• Cross bridges interact with actin
Extracellular fluid (ECF)
Ca2+
Plasma membrane
Cytoplasm
1 Calcium ions (Ca2+)
enter the cytosol from
the ECF via voltage-
dependent or voltage-
Ca2+
independent Ca2+
channels, or from
the scant SR.
Sarcoplasmic
reticulum
Figure 9.29, step 1
2 Ca2+ binds to and
activates calmodulin.
Ca2+
Inactive calmodulin Activated calmodulin
Figure 9.29, step 2
3 Activated calmodulin
activates the myosin
light chain kinase
enzymes.
Inactive kinase Activated kinase
Figure 9.29, step 3
4 The activated kinase enzymes ATP
catalyze transfer of phosphate
to myosin, activating the myosin ADP
ATPases.
Pi
Pi
Inactive Activated (phosphorylated)
myosin molecule myosin molecule
Figure 9.29, step 4
5 Activated myosin forms cross
bridges with actin of the thin
filaments and shortening begins.
Thin
filament
Thick
filament
Figure 9.29, step 5
Contraction of Smooth Muscle
Relaxation requires:
• Ca2+ detachment
from calmodulin
• Active transport of
Ca2+ into SR and ECF
• Dephosphorylation
of myosin to reduce
myosin ATPase
activity
Special Features of Smooth Muscle
Contraction
Stress-relaxation response:
• Responds to stretch only briefly, then adapts to new length
• Retains ability to contract on demand
• Enables organs such as the stomach and bladder to temporarily
store contents
Length and tension changes:
• Can contract when between half and twice its resting length
Regulation of Contraction
Neural regulation:
• Neurotransmitter binding [Ca2+] in sarcoplasm;
either graded (local) potential or action potential
• Response depends on neurotransmitter released and
type of receptor molecules
Hormones and local chemicals:
• May bind to G protein–linked receptors
• May either enhance or inhibit Ca2+ entry
Comparison between skeletal and smooth
muscle contraction
Smooth muscle
Skeletal muscle contraction contraction
• Ca++binds with troponin C • Ca++binds with Calmodulin
• High energy required to • Low energy required to
sustain muscle contraction sustain muscle contraction
• Rate of contraction and • Rate of contraction and
relaxation is fast relaxation is slow
• Main source of Ca++ is SR • Main source of Ca++ is ECF
Skeletal muscle contraction Smooth muscle contraction
• Sodium ions are responsible • Calcium ions are responsible
for action potential for action potential
• Sarcoplasmic reticulum • Sarcoplasmic reticulum
highly developed poorly developed
Table 9.3
Table 9.3
Table 9.3
Table 9.3
MUSCLE PATHo
PHYSIOLOGY
Myasthenia Gravis
Incidence / symptoms:
• Paralysis - lethal in extreme cases when
respiratory muscles are involved
• 2 per 1,000,000 people / year
Cause:
• Autoimmune disease characterized by the
presence of antibodies against the nicotinic
ACh receptor which destroys them
• weak end plate potentials
treatment
• Usually ameliorated by anti-AChE
(neostigmine)
• Increases amount of ACh in NMJ
Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic
Syndrome
Incidence / symptoms:
• 1 per 100,000 people / year
• 40% also have small cell lung
cancer
• Weakness/paralysis
Multiple
Sclerosis
Multiple Sclerosis
• Chronic, progressive,
degenerative
disorder of the CNS
characterized by
disseminated
demyelination of nerve
fibers of the brain and
spinal cord
Pathophysiology
treatment
Corticosteroids
Muscle relaxants
tetanus
Tetanus is a serious bacterial
disease that affects nervous
system, leading to painful
muscle contractions, particularly
of jaw and neck muscles.
Causes
Spores of the bacteria that cause tetanus, Clostridium
tetani, are found in soil, dust and animal faeces.
When they enter a deep flesh wound, spores grow into
bacteria that can produce a powerful toxin,
tetanospasmin, which impairs the nerves that control
muscles (motor neurons).
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Symptoms and treatment
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