title: Contribution of capsaicin-sensitive sensory neurons to stress-induced increases in gastric tissue levels of prostaglandins in rats.
abstract: We examined whether capsaicin-sensitive sensory neurons might be involved in the increase in the gastric tissue level of prostaglandins, thereby contributing to the reduction of water immersion restraint stress (WIR)-induced gastric mucosal injury in rats. Gastric tissue levels of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), 6-keto-PGF1alpha, and PGE2 were transiently increased 30 min after WIR. These increases were significantly inhibited by subcutaneous injection of capsazepine (CPZ), a vanilloid receptor antagonist, and by functional denervation of capsaicin-sensitive sensory neurons induced by the administration of high-dose capsaicin. The administration of capsaicin (orally) and CGRP (intravenously) significantly enhanced the WIR-induced increases in the gastric tissue level of prostaglandins 30 min after WIR, whereas CGRP-(8-37), a CGRP receptor antagonist, significantly inhibited them. Pretreatment with Nomega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), a nonselective inhibitor of nitric oxide (NO) synthase (NOS), and that with indomethacin inhibited the WIR-induced increases in gastric tissue levels of prostaglandins, whereas either pretreatment with aminoguanidine (AG), a selective inhibitor of the inducible form of NOS, or that with NS-398, a selective inhibitor of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, did not affect them. CPZ, the functional denervation of capsaicin-sensitive sensory neurons, and CGRP-(8-37) significantly increased gastric MPO activity and exacerbated the WIR-induced gastric mucosal injury in rats subjected to 4-h WIR. The administration of capsaicin and CGRP significantly increased the gastric tissue levels of prostaglandins and inhibited both the WIR-induced increases in gastric MPO activity and gastric mucosal injury 8 h after WIR. These effects induced by capsaicin and CGRP were inhibited by pretreatment with L-NAME and indomethacin but not by pretreatment with AG and NS-398. These observations strongly suggest that capsaicin-sensitive sensory neurons might release CGRP, thereby increasing the gastric tissue levels of PGI2 and PGE2 by activating COX-1 through activation of the constitutive form of NOS in rats subjected to WIR. Such activation of capsaicin-sensitive sensory neurons might contribute to the reduction of WIR-induced gastric mucosal injury mainly by inhibiting neutrophil activation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Fukuoka University, Japan.
authors.forename: Naoaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Harada
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okajima
authors.forename: Mitsuhiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Uchiba
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Katsuragi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / Q000378:metabolism; D002211:Capsaicin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004727:Endothelium / Q000378:metabolism; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D007101:Immersion; D008297:Male; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000187:drug effects*; D018375:Neutrophil Activation; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D011453:Prostaglandins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012149:Restraint, Physical; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000150:complications* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D011453:Prostaglandins; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D002211:Capsaicin