Intrathecal bombesin in rats: effects on behaviour and gastrointestinal transit.
When bombesin is given intracerebroventricularly to rats, it is known to cause excessive scratching and inhibit gastrointestinal transit. We have administered bombesin via a permanent indwelling cannula into the subarachnoid space of the lumbar spinal cord of rats. By this route, bombesin elicited immediate excessive scratching and rapidly inhibited passage of a charcoal meal along the gastrointestinal tract. The A50 values for these effects were 0.004 (0.001-0.018) micrograms/rat and 0.34 (0.22-0.55) micrograms/rat, respectively. Bombesin-induced scratching and inhibition of transit are therefore mediated at spinal, as well as supraspinal, levels.
D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D001839:Bombesin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005769:Gastrointestinal Motility / Q000187:drug effects*; D006120:Grooming / Q000187:drug effects; D007278:Injections, Spinal; D008297:Male; D010455:Peptides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
D010455:Peptides; D001839:Bombesin