Ghrelin enhances gastric motility through direct stimulation of intrinsic neural pathways and capsaicin-sensitive afferent neurones in rats.
BACKGROUND
Ghrelin may stimulate gastric motility via the vagal nerve pathway. However, the mechanism of ghrelin-induced changes in gastrointestinal motility has not yet been clearly defined. The present study was designed to investigate whether ghrelin accelerates gastric emptying via capsaicin-sensitive afferent neurones and directly affects the enteric neuromuscular function.


METHODS
Gastric emptying of nutrient solids was assessed after intravenous administration of saline or ghrelin in conscious rats. The effects of ghrelin on gastric emptying were also examined in rats pretreated with capsaicin. Gastric emptying and intestinal transit of non-caloric liquids were evaluated using 51Cr solution. The effects of ghrelin on spontaneous contractile activities of isolated strips from stomach and jejunum were also investigated and the influence of ghrelin on motor responses to carbachol and electrical field stimulation was examined.


RESULTS
Ghrelin significantly accelerated gastric emptying of both nutrient solids and non-caloric liquids in conscious rats. The intestinal transit of non-caloric liquids was also enhanced by ghrelin. Pretreatment with capsaicin prevented the ghrelin-induced acceleration of gastric emptying of nutrient solids. Ghrelin did not modulate spontaneous and carbachol-induced contractions of strips of gastric body, gastric antrum and jejunum. However, electrical field stimulation-induced contractions were significantly enhanced by ghrelin in the gastric body.


CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest that the stimulatory effects of ghrelin on gastric motility are mediated by direct stimulation of the enteric neural pathway and capsaicin-sensitive afferent neurones.
Fukuda
H
H
Second Depts of Internal Medicine and Pharmacology, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, Nagasaki, Japan.
Mizuta
Y
Y
Isomoto
H
H
Takeshima
F
F
Ohnita
K
K
Ohba
K
K
Omagari
K
K
Taniyama
K
K
Kohno
S
S
D000344:Afferent Pathways / Q000503:physiopathology; D000818:Animals; D002211:Capsaicin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017615:Enteric Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D019054:Evoked Potentials, Motor / Q000502:physiology; D005746:Gastric Emptying / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D005772:Gastrointestinal Transit / Q000502:physiology*; D054439:Ghrelin; D007583:Jejunum / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D036361:Peptide Hormones / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013270:Stomach / Q000503:physiopathology; D046509:Tissue Culture Techniques
D054439:Ghrelin; D036361:Peptide Hormones; D002211:Capsaicin