title: Ghrelin as a novel locally produced relaxing peptide of the iris sphincter and dilator muscles.
abstract: Ghrelin is a recently described acylated peptide, which works as a somatosecretagogue and has described effects on the smooth, skeletal and cardiac muscle. We examined the production and effects of ghrelin on relaxation of the iris muscles. Contractile effects of 1-5 human ghrelin (frGhr, 10(-9)-6 x 10(-5)M) and 1-5 human des-octanoyl-ghrelin (d-frGhr; 10(-9)-6 x 10(-5)M) were tested on iris rabbit sphincter (n=11 frGhr; n=7 d-frGhr), dilator (n=6 frGhr; n=6 d-frGhr) and rat sphincter (n=6 frGhr; n=8 d-frGhr) precontracted muscles. On rabbit sphincter the effect of frGhr was also tested in presence of: i) L-NA (10(-5)M; n=7); ii) indomethacin (10(-5)M; n=7); iii) DLys(3)GHRP6 (10(-4)M; n=6); and iv) apamin+carybdotoxin (10(-6)M; n=6). Furthermore, on rabbit dilator the effect of frGhr was tested in presence of DLys(3)GHRP6 (10(-4)M; n=7). Finally, ghrelin mRNA production was assessed by "in situ" hybridization in Wistar rat eyes (n=8). In all muscles, frGhr promoted a concentration-dependent relaxation, maximal at 6 x 10(-5)M, 1.5-3 min after its addition, decreasing tension by 34.1+/-12.1%, 25.8+/-4.8% and 52.1+/-10.3% in the rabbit sphincter, dilator and rat sphincter, respectively. In the rabbit sphincter the relaxing effects of frGhr were: (i) enhanced in presence of DLys(3)GHRP6 (118.1+/-21.1%); (ii) blunted by indomethacin; and (iii) not altered by apamin+carybdotoxin (36.4+/-14.4%) or L-NA (52.4+/-11.4%). Relaxing effects of d-frGhr in rabbit (43.3+/-5.2%) and rat (77.1+/-15.3%) sphincter muscles were similar to those of frGhr. In rabbit dilator muscle, d-frGhr did not significantly alter active tension and the relaxing effect of frGhr was blunted by GHSR-1a blockage. Ghrelin mRNA was identified in iris posterior epithelium. In conclusion, ghrelin is a novel, locally produced, relaxing agent of iris dilator and sphincter muscles, an effect that is mediated by GHSR-1a in the former, but not in the latter. Furthermore, in the sphincter it seems to be mediated by prostaglandins, but not by NO or K(Ca) channels.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Professor Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal. arsousa@med.up.pt
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rocha-Sousa
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Saraiva
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Henriques-Coelho
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Falcão-Reis
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Correia-Pinto
authors.forename: A F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Leite-Moreira
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000869:Anterior Eye Segment / Q000737:chemistry; D002217:Carbachol / Q000494:pharmacology; D018679:Cholinergic Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D054439:Ghrelin; D017403:In Situ Hybridization / Q000379:methods; D007498:Iris / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009126:Muscle Relaxation / Q000502:physiology; D009801:Oculomotor Muscles / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000378:metabolism; D036361:Peptide Hormones / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000378:metabolism; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D054440:Receptors, Ghrelin
chemical_list: D018679:Cholinergic Agonists; D054439:Ghrelin; D009842:Oligopeptides; D036361:Peptide Hormones; D015221:Potassium Channels; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D054440:Receptors, Ghrelin; C422650:ghrelin, des-n-octanoyl; C041048:growth hormone releasing hexapeptide; D002217:Carbachol; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases; D004837:Epinephrine