Protective effects of an interaction between vagus nerve and melatonin on gastric ischemia/reperfusion: the role of oxidative stress.
OBJECTIVE
Vagal pathways in gastrointestinal tract are the most important pathways that regulate ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). Gastrointestinal tract is one of the important sources of melatonin production. The aim of this study was to investigate probable protective effect of the interaction between vagus nerve and melatonin after I/R.


METHODS
This study was performed in male rats that were divided into six groups. Cervical vagus nerve was cut bilaterally after induction of I/R and the right one was stimulated by stimulator. Melatonin or vehicle was injected intraperitoneally. The stomach was removed for histopathological and biochemical investigations.


RESULTS
A significant decrease in infiltration of gastric neutrophils and malondialdehyde (MDA) level after I/R was induced by melatonin and was disappeared after vagotomy. The stimulation of vagus nerve significantly enhanced these effects of melatonin. However, a stimulation of vagus nerve alone increased neutrophils infiltration and MDA level. Melatonin significantly increased the activities of catalase, glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutases (SOD). Unlike stimulation of vagus nerve, vagotomy decreased these effects of melatonin.


CONCLUSIONS
According to these results, it is probable that protective effects of melatonin after I/R may be mediated by vagus nerve. Therefore, there is an interaction between melatonin and vagus nerve in their protective effects.
Physiology Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
Nader
N
Shahrokhi
Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Institute of Basic and Clinical Physiology Sciences, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
Mohammad
M
Khaksari
Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran.
Shahla
S
Nourizad
School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
Nava
N
Shahrokhi
Gastroenterology and Hepatology Research Center, Institute of Basic and Clinical Physiology Sciences, Dept. of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
Zahra
Z
Soltani
Department of Biochemistry, Medical School of Afzalipour, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
Ahmad
A
Gholamhosseinian
Melatonin Ischemia/reperfusion Oxidative stress; Vagus nerve