title: Effect of nicotinic acid on cholera-induced fluid movement and unidirectional sodium fluxes in rabbit jejunum.
abstract: Cholera toxin produces intestinal secretion and elevation of intestinal cyclic AMP. Nicotinic acid has been shown to prevent these responses. The effect of nicotinic acid on cholera toxin-induced secretion could be caused by decreased plasma-to-lumen flux, increased lumen-to-plasma flux, or a combination of both. The purpose of this study was to define the effects of nicotinic acid on net fluid movement and unidirectional sodium fluxes in rabbit jejunal loops exposed to cholera toxin. In the untreated animals receiving no nicotinic acid, the cholera toxin-exposed loops secreted 0.91 ml/cm/4h above the control loops receiving no cholera toxin (p < 0.01). On the other hand, pretreatment with 100 mg/kg nicotinic acid caused a striking decrease in secretion in the cholera toxin loop, so that the cholera toxin loop was not significantly different from the control loop. Unidirectional sodium fluxes in untreated animals showed that cholera toxin caused an increase in the plasma-to-lumen flux and a decrease in the lumen-to-plasma flux. Both effects were abolished by pretreating the animals with nicotinic acid. These studies indicate that nicotinic acid prevents cholera toxin-induced secretion by restoring the unidirectional fluxes to control levels.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002772:Cholera Toxin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007419:Intestinal Secretions / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D007583:Jejunum / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009539:Nicotinic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011817:Rabbits; D012964:Sodium / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D009539:Nicotinic Acids; D002772:Cholera Toxin; D012964:Sodium