Impairment of contractility associated with muscarinic supersensitivity in trachea isolated from diabetic rats: lack of correlation with ultrastructural changes or quinuclidinyl benzylate binding to lung membranes.

Evolution of cholinergic response of rat isolated trachea was determined after various durations of diabetes (17, 40, 90, 150 and 210 days). Long-term diabetes was associated with both impairment of contractility and supersensitivity to cholinergic stimulation. However, the mechanism of these alterations remains to be determined, as response to field stimulation was not specifically altered while electron microscopy studies could not detect any significant change in the aspect of nerves, smooth muscle or epithelium. As well, binding studies of lung cholinergic receptors using the antagonist ligand [3H]-quinuclidinyl benzylate and the agonist carbachol did not detect any change in diabetic animals.