title: Neuropeptide W modulation of gastric vagal afferent mechanosensitivity: Impact of age and sex.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Gastric vagal afferents are activated in response to mechanical stimulation, an effect attenuated by neuropeptide W (NPW) in 20-week-old female mice. In this study we aimed to determine whether there were age and sex dependent effects of NPW on gastric vagal afferent mechanosensitivity.
  
  
  METHODS
  An in vitro gastro-oesophageal preparation was used to determine the effect of NPW on gastric vagal afferent mechanosensitivity from 8 and 20-week-old male and female C57BL/6 mice. Retrograde tracing and laser capture microdissection were used to selectively collect gastric vagal afferent cell bodies. Expression of NPW in the gastric mucosa and its receptor, GPR7, in gastric vagal afferent cell bodies was determined using quantitative RT-PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  NPW inhibited gastric tension sensitive vagal afferents from 20-week-old male and female mice, but not 8-week-old mice. In contrast, NPW inhibited the mechanosensitivity of gastric mucosal vagal afferents in 8-week-old male and female mice, but not 20-week-old mice. NPW mRNA expression in the gastric mucosa was higher in 20-week-old male mice compared to 8-week-old male mice. GPR7 mRNA expression in vagal afferent neurons innervating the gastric muscular layers was higher in 20-week-old mice compared to 8-week-old mice in both sexes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The inhibitory effect of NPW on gastric tension sensitive and mucosal vagal afferents is age but not sex-dependent. These findings suggest that the physiological role of NPW varies depending on the age of the mice.
authors.affiliation: Vagal Afferent Research Group, Centre for Nutrition and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Discipline of Medicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Vagal Afferent Research Group, Centre for Nutrition and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Discipline of Medicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Claudine L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Frisby
authors.affiliation: Vagal Afferent Research Group, Centre for Nutrition and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Discipline of Medicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Tracey A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: O'Donnell
authors.affiliation: Vagal Afferent Research Group, Centre for Nutrition and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Discipline of Medicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Kentish
authors.affiliation: Vagal Afferent Research Group, Centre for Nutrition and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Discipline of Medicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Gary A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Wittert
authors.affiliation: Vagal Afferent Research Group, Centre for Nutrition and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Discipline of Medicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. Electronic address: Amanda.page@adelaide.edu.au.
authors.forename: Amanda J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Page
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000294:innervation* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D040542:Mechanotransduction, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects*; D051379:Mice; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000378:metabolism; D018013:Receptors, Neuropeptide / Q000378:metabolism; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D014630:Vagus Nerve / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D009479:Neuropeptides; C485721:Npbwr1 protein, mouse; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D018013:Receptors, Neuropeptide; C508547:neuropeptide W, mouse
keywords: Age; Neuropeptide W; Sex; Vagal afferents