title: Significance of changes of gastrointestinal peptides in blood and ileum of experimental spleen deficiency rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the mechanism of spleen deficiency (SD) by studying the relationship of gastro-intestinal peptides level and ileal electro-mechanical activity of SD rats and cold restrain rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  (1) spleen deficiency (SD) model was established by feeding Houpou:Zhishi: Dahuang in the ratio of 3:3:2, 3 ml/time, for 42 days. (2) The cold restrain stress model: Animals were restrained on grille and placed in a cool water at 18 degrees for 3 h. (3) Substance P (SP) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) levels in all layers of initial part of ileum and blood in rats were measured by radioimmunoassays (RIA) while changes of electric activity and motility in ileum of rats were recorded with electrode and strain gauge.
  
  
  RESULTS
  SP levels in ileum and blood of experimental SD rats were significantly higher than that of the control groups (9.89+/-5.65 vs 1.22+/-1.18, P<0.005, in ileum; 22.7+/-3.95 vs 6.60+/-1.47, P<0.001, in blood) while the VIP levels of the SD rats were significantly lower than that of the controls (3.50+/-2.01 vs 9.10+/-4.91, P<0.05, in ileum; 229.8+/-62.4 vs 560.4+/-151.3, P<0.001, in blood). As compared with the controls, the average frequency of slow electric waves (21.3+/-0.96 vs 18.2+/-2.28, P<0.05) and motility (21.5+/-0.58 vs 18+/-2.65, P<0.005) of SD rats increased obviously and the frequency of fast waves of SD rat also increased. In spontaneous recovery cases, SP levels recovered significantly (compared with the SD groups, 2.99+/-0.62 vs 9.89+/-5.65, P<0.001, in ileum; 14.4+/-4.22 vs 22.7+/-3.95, P<0.001, in blood) but did not drop to normal. After the SD rats treated with Chinese herbs (Jiawei Sijun zi Tang), SP improved (compared with SD cases, 2.20+/-1.25 vs 9.89+/-5.65, (P<0.001), in ileum; 10.7+/-1.88 vs 22.7+/-3.95, (P<0.001), in blood) and VIP in blood also improved (compared with SD rats, 485.7+/-229.0 vs 229.8+/-62.4, P<0.01) while the amplitude of motility decreased apparently (compared with the SD rats, 0.64+/-0.096 vs 0.89+/-0.15, P<0.01). The ileal SP levels of cool stress didn't change while the ileal VIP levels of cool stress became significantly lower than that of the control groups (2.87+/-0.87 vs 9.10+/-4.91, P<0.01). The blood SP levels of cool stress were significantly higher (15.60+/-1.83 vs 6.60+/-1.47, P<0.001) whereas the blood VIP levels of cool stress were significantly lower than that of the control group (153.4+/-70.46 vs 560.4+/-151.30, P<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Changes of SP and VIP levels in initial part of ileum and blood of SD rats and cool stress rats may be closely related to the gastrointestinal motility disorders presented in SD and cool stress rats. the Chinese herbs (Jiawei Sijun zi Tang) currently used have partially therapeutic effect.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Capital University of Medical Sciences, 100054, Beijing, China. lls@sohu.com
authors.forename: Li-Sheng
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Rui-Yao
authors.initials: RY
authors.lastname: Qu
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Guo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004594:Electrophysiology; D007082:Ileum / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013158:Splenic Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013373:Substance P / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D013373:Substance P; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide