title: Effect of ovarian hormones, pregnancy and lactation on somatostatin and substance P in the alimentary tract of mice.
abstract: Immunoreactive somatostatin and substance P were determined in extracts of alimentary tract (stomach to colon) from the following groups of adult female mice: intact control, ovariectomized, ovariectomized and treated with oestradiol (50 micrograms/kg per day) and/or progesterone (2 mg/kg per day) for 30 days, 19-day-pregnant, and 10-day-postpartum lactating. Ovariectomy increased the somatostatin concentration of the stomach (by 52%, P less than 0.05), jejunum (by 116%, P less than 0.01) and caecum (by 114%, P less than 0.01). These effects were partially or totally prevented by the oestradiol and progesterone treatments, especially the oestradiol-progesterone combination, except for an increase (by 126%, P less than 0.01) in gastric somatostatin after treatment with oestradiol alone. Lactation also increased gastric somatostatin (by 108%, P less than 0.001), but the somatostatin concentration of other regions of the alimentary tract (jejunum to colon) was reduced (by 21-55%, P less than 0.05) in pregnant and lactating mice. The concentration of substance P was increased by ovariectomy in stomach (by 69%, P less than 0.01), duodenum (by 84%, P less than 0.05), ileum (by 163%, P less than 0.001) and caecum (by 57%, P less than 0.01). This effect was partially or totally prevented by treatment with progesterone alone and by the oestradiol-progesterone combination, but not by oestradiol alone. Pregnancy and lactation increased gastric substance P by 46% (P less than 0.01) and 61% (P less than 0.001) respectively, but substance P concentrations in other regions of the alimentary tract were not significantly altered.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham.
authors: C J
authors: CJ
authors: Bailey
authors: J M
authors: JM
authors: Conlon
authors: P R
authors: PR
authors: Flatt
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D004064:Digestive System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D007774:Lactation / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D010052:Ovariectomy; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal / Q000378:metabolism*; D011374:Progesterone / Q000494:pharmacology; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000378:metabolism*; D013373:Substance P / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D013373:Substance P; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol; D013004:Somatostatin