title: Differential changes in Substance P, VIP as well as neprilysin levels in patients with gastritis or ulcer.
abstract: The protective effect of capsaicin-sensitive sensory nerve (CSSN) activation was recently demonstrated in human gastric mucosa. We here examined changes in neuropeptides, specifically Substance P (SP), calcitonin-gene related peptide (CGRP) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) in patients with chronic gastritis or ulcer. Furthermore changes in neprilysin levels, which hydrolyse these neuropeptides, were determined. Gastric biopsies were obtained from both lesion- and normal-appearing mucosa of 57 patients. The presence of H. pylori infection was verified with rapid urease assay. Neuronal and non-neuronal levels of SP, VIP, CGRP and neprilysin activity were determined in freshly frozen biopsies. Immunohistochemical localization of neprilysin was performed in 30 paraffin embedded specimens. We here found that neuronal SP levels decreased significantly in normally appearing mucosa of patients with gastritis while levels of non-neuronal SP increased in diseased areas of gastritis and ulcer. The presence of H. pylori led to further decreases of SP levels. The content of VIP in both disease-involved and uninvolved mucosa, and expression of neprilysin, markedly decreased in patients with gastritis or ulcer. Since VIP, as well as SP fragments, formed following hydrolysis with neprilysin is recognized to have gastroprotective effects, decreased levels of VIP, SP and neprilysin may predispose to cellular damage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and SBAUM, Akdeniz University, School of Medicine, Antalya 07070, Turkey. nerin@akdeniz.edu.tr
authors.forename: Nuray
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Erin
authors.forename: Sema
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Türker
authors.forename: Ozlem
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Elpek
authors.forename: Bülent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yıldırım
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / Q000378:metabolism; D004381:Duodenal Ulcer / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D005756:Gastritis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000378:metabolism; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015260:Neprilysin / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D010437:Peptic Ulcer / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology; D013373:Substance P / Q000378:metabolism*; D014456:Ulcer / Q000378:metabolism*; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D013373:Substance P; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide; D015260:Neprilysin; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide