title: Mesolimbic dopamine mediates gastric mucosal protection by central neurotensin.
abstract: Bilateral microinjection (1.0 microliter/side) of neurotensin (NT; 0.3, 1.5, and 3.0 micrograms/side) into the nucleus accumbens (NACB) and ventral tegmental area (VTA) but not in substantia nigra and striatum reduced gastric mucosal injury produced by 2 h of cold-water restraint (CWR). The minimal effective dose for NT-induced protection was 10-100 times lower when administered directly into NACB than into the lateral ventricle. These effects were blocked by pretreatment with the dopamine (DA) receptor antagonist, haloperidol (Hal; 0.5 microgram/side) given directly into NACB. Injection of 6-hydroxydopamine into VTA depleted endogenous DA and inhibited gastric mucosal protection against CWR-induced injury afforded by NT pretreatment. NT, given into either VTA and NACB, inhibited pentagastrin-stimulated gastric acid secretion. These results suggest that VTA and NACB, which represent the mesolimbic DA system, are important locations for interaction between NT and DA receptors to produce gastric mucosal protection against CWR-induced injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Pennsylvania State University, Hershey 17033.
authors.forename: L P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Xing
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Balaban
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Seaton
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Washington
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kauffman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D006220:Haloperidol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D006892:Hydroxydopamines / Q000494:pharmacology; D008032:Limbic System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008845:Microinjections; D009496:Neurotensin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D016627:Oxidopamine; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012016:Reference Values; D013681:Tegmentum Mesencephali / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D006892:Hydroxydopamines; D009496:Neurotensin; D016627:Oxidopamine; D006220:Haloperidol; D004298:Dopamine; D009638:Norepinephrine