title: Effects of ghrelin on interdigestive contractions of the rat gastrointestinal tract.
abstract: Ghrelin causes interdigestive contractions of the stomach in rats. However, it remains unknown whether ghrelin causes interdigestive contractions in the small intestine. Four strain gauge transducers were implanted on the antrum, duodenum, proximal and distal jejunum. After an overnight fast, gastrointestinal (GI) contractions were recorded in freely moving conscious rats. Spontaneous phase III-like contractions were observed at every 13-16 min in rat GI tract. The fasted motor patterns were replaced by the fed motor pattern immediately after food intake. Two minutes after finishing the spontaneous phase III-like contractions in the antrum, acyl ghrelin (0.8, 2.4 and 8.0 microg/kg per min) was continuously infused for 30 min. Three-five minutes after the starting ghrelin infusion, augmented phase III-like contractions were observed at the antrum, duodenum, and jejunum. Ghrelin infusion (0.8, 2.4 and 8.0 microg/kg per min) significantly increased motility index of phase III-like contractions at the antrum and jejunum in a dose dependent manner, compared to that of saline injection. Thus, it is likely that exogenously administered ghrelin causes phase III-like contraction at the antrum, which migrates to the duodenum and jejunum. The possible role of 5-HT, in addition to ghrelin, in mediating intestinal migrating motor complex (MMC), is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin and Zablocki VA Medical Center, 5000 West National Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53295, United States.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
authors.forename: Hajime
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ariga
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Kirk
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ludwig
authors.forename: Toku
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takahashi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004063:Digestion; D004386:Duodenum / Q000378:metabolism*; D005215:Fasting; D005746:Gastric Emptying; D005769:Gastrointestinal Motility; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism*; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D007583:Jejunum / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D016065:Myoelectric Complex, Migrating; D010528:Peristalsis; D019518:Postprandial Period; D011706:Pyloric Antrum / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism; D013686:Telemetry / Q000295:instrumentation; D013997:Time Factors; D014160:Transducers, Pressure
chemical_list: D054439:Ghrelin; D012701:Serotonin