1 Electrical field stimulation causes neurally-mediated relaxation of the ileocolonic sphincter that is due to activation of non-adrenergic and non-cholinergic (NANC) nerves. Recent studies have suggested that nitric oxide (NO) is the neurotransmitter that mediates relaxation. 2 Using intracellular recording techniques, we have tested whether NANC inhibitory junction potentials (ij.ps) in the canine ileocolonic sphincter are also mediated by NO. 3 Electrical field stimulation elicited excitatory and inhibitory junction potentials: ej.ps were blocked by atropine (10-6 M) and tetrodotoxin (TTX; 10-6 M); ij.ps were also blocked by TTX and partially blocked by apamin (10-6 M). I.j.ps were unaffected by atropine, phentolamine and propranolol (all at 10-6 M). 4 The arginine analogues, L-N0-nitroarginine methyl ester (L-NAME) and N0-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA), decreased the amplitude of ij.ps and L-arginine, but not D-arginine, partially restored the '.J.ps.5 Ij.ps were also inhibited by oxyhaemoglobin (1%), but not by methaemoglobin. 6 Exogenous NO (1 -7M to 3 x 1 -5M) caused concentration-dependent hyperpolarizations that were similar in amplitude to the NANC nerve-evoked ij.ps. Hyperpolarizations to NO were unaffected by L-NAME, but were blocked by oxyhaemoglobin. 7 Tetrodotoxin, L-NAME and oxyhaemoglobin all caused depolarization of resting membrane potential. 8 The specific guanosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate phosphodiesterase inhibitor, M&B 22948, caused hyperpolarization, increased the maximum level of hyperpolarization reached during ij.ps, and increased the duration of ij.ps. 9 These data further support the hypothesis that NANC neurotransmission in the ileocolonic sphincter is mediated by NO or an NO-releasing compound. The data also suggest that tonic release of NO, possibly from spontaneous firing of NANC nerves, may regulate resting membrane potential and tone in this sphincter.

The aim of this study was to examine the potencies of several recently identified selective somatostatin (SRIF)-receptor ligands as inhibitors of electrogenic ion transport in the rat distal colonic mucosa with the view to identifying the SRIF receptor type involved. Under basal conditions, cumulative administration of SRIF and SRIF28 decreased short circuit current (SCC), a measure of electrogenic ion transport, with EC50 values of 4 nM and 9 nM respectively. The peptidase inhibitors, phosphoramidon (1 microM) and amastatin (10 microM), has no effect on the potencies of either SRIF or SRIF28. The inhibitory action of SRIF on basal SCC was suppressed by piretanide and diphenylamine-2-carboxylate, compatible with the assumption that the Na+K+2Cl- co-transporter and Cl- channels, respectively, may be involved in this antisecretory action of SRIF. Tetrodotoxin (1 microM) had no effect on the antisecretory action of SRIF, suggesting that the process was not neuronally mediated. All of the SRIF analogues examined, with the exception of BIM-23056, maximally inhibited basal SCC to a similar extent as SRIF. Seglitide and octreotide were both more potent antisecretory agents than SRIF (respective EC50 values, 0.4 nM and 1.5 nM) suggesting that this effect was mediated by a receptor belonging to the SRIF1 receptor group. The most distinguishing feature of the rank order of agonist potencies was the high potency of the selective sst2 receptor ligand, BIM-23027 (EC50 value 0.32 nM), the weaker potency exhibited by the selective sst5 receptor ligand, L-362855 (EC50 value 21 nM), and the lack of agonist activity displayed by the selective sst3 receptor ligand, BIM-23056 (EC50 value > 1000 nM). This profile is comparable with that observed in binding studies on the recombinant sst2 receptor. Forskolin-stimulated secretion was suppressed by SRIF analogues with the rank order of agonist potencies BIM-23027 > SRIF > L-362855 >> BIM-23056 which resembled that exhibited under basal conditions. However, the absolute potencies of these agonists were lower (respective EC50 values 2 nM, 14 nM< 38 nM and > 1000 nM) whilst the magnitude of inhibition was about three fold greater. BIM-23027 and SRIF (both 30 nM) also inhibited carbachol-stimulated increases in basal SCC by 60-70%, while a similar concentration of L-362855 inhibited these responses by 11%. BIM-23056 (1 microM) had no effect on carbachol-simulated secretion. Radioligand binding studies on rat colonic mucosal membranes using [125I]-Tyr11-SRIF suggested heterogeneity of SRIF binding sites. Thus, SRIF and SRIF28 competed for binding (IC50 values, 0.32 and 0.63 nM, respectively) with Hill slopes less than unity; while seglitide and BIM-23027 both maximally displaced only 30-40% of specific binding with apparent high affinity (respective pIC50 values, 10.1 nM and 10.0). In conclusion, SRIF decreases basal as well as both cAMP and Ca(2+)-dependent Cl- secretion in rat colonic mucosa. The rank order of agonist potencies suggests that receptors resembling the recombinant sst2 recept...

1. The motor effects of somatostatin-14 (SRIF), and several SRIF peptide analogues were investigated on the rat isolated distal colon. The objective of these studies was to characterize the receptor mediating the contractile action of SRIF by comparing the relative agonist potencies of a range of SRIF analogues. 2. SRIF (1 nM-1 microM) produced concentration-dependent contractions with an EC50 value of approximately 10 nM. Contractile responses induced by SRIF were insensitive to atropine (1 microM) or naloxone (1 microM) but abolished by tetrodotoxin (1 microM). Somatostatin-28 (SRIF28), also induced concentration-dependent contractions and was equipotent with SRIF. Phosphoramidon (1 microM) and amastatin (10 microM) did not increase the potency of either SRIF or SRIF28. 3. The SRIF peptide analogues, octreotide, SRIF25, seglitide, angiopeptin and CGP23996 (1 nM-1 microM) produced contractile responses in the rat distal colon, each having similar potency and maximal activity relative to SRIF. The SSTR2 receptor-selective hexapeptide, BIM23027 (0.1 nM-1 microM), and the SRIF stereoisomer, D-Trp8-SRIF (0.1 nM-1 microM), were the most potent agonists examined being approximately 12 and 7 times more potent than SRIF, respectively. In contrast, the SSTR5 receptor-selective analogue, L362,855, was approximately 120 times weaker than SRIF, whilst the SSTR3 receptor-selective analogue, BIM23056, was inactive at concentrations up to 3 microM. 4. The putative SRIF receptor antagonist, (cyclo(7-aminoheptanoyl Phe-D-Trp-Lys-Thr[Bzl]))(CPP) (1 microM), had no agonist activity and had no effect on contractions induced by SRIF. 5. The contractile actions of BIM23027 and seglitide were subject to pronounced desensitization. Desensitization of preparations by BIM23027 (0.3 JIM) abolished the contractile action of SRIF andSRIF28 but had no effect on contractions produced by acetylcholine (0.1 nM-I1M), suggesting thatBIM23027, SRIF and SRIF28 act via a common receptor mechanism.6. In conclusion, the rat isolated distal colon contracts in response to SRIF and a number of SRIF analogues. Seglitide and octreotide exhibited similar potency and maximal activity relative to SRIF,suggesting that in the rat colon the receptor mediating contraction belongs to the SRIF,-receptor group,of which the recombinant SSTR2, SSTR3 and SSTR5 receptors appear to be subtypes. The high potency of BIM23027, the weak agonist activity of L362,855 and the lack of activity exhibited by BIM23056suggests that the SRIF receptor mediating contraction in the rat distal colon is similar to there combinant SSTR2 receptor.

We have previously shown that the somatostatin (SRIF) sst2 receptor-selective peptide, BIM-23027, is a potent antisecretory agent in rat isolated distal colonic mucosa (RDCM) and in radioligand binding studies in RDCM membranes, it only maximally inhibited approximately 40% of [125I]-Tyr11-SRIF-14 binding (McKeen ES, Feniuk W, Humphrey PPA (1995) Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch Pharmacol 352:402-411). The aim of this study was to characterise the BIM-23027-sensitive and -insensitive SRIF binding sites in more detail and to compare their properties with those of the recombinant sst2 receptor stably expressed in mouse fibroblast (Ltk-) cells. SRIF-14, SRIF-28, CGP-23996 and D Trp8-SRIF-14 abolished [125I]-Tyr11-SRIF-14 binding (pIC50 values, 8.7-9.7) but the competition curves had Hill slopes which were less than unity. Octreotide and L-362,855 inhibited binding over a wide concentration range (0.1 nM-1 microM) and inhibition of binding was incomplete at the highest concentration studied. BIM-23056 (pIC50 < 6.5) was a weak inhibitor of [125]-Tyr11-SRIF-14 binding. GTP gamma S decreased [125I]-Tyr11-SRIF-14 binding by 40%. Further binding experiments with [125I]-Tyr11-SRIF-14 were carried out in RDCM in the continuous presence of BIM-23027 (1 microM). Under these conditions, seglitide had no effect on [125I]-Tyr11-SRIF-14 binding at concentrations up to 10 microM, whilst SRIF-14 and SRIF-28 abolished specific [125I]-Tyr11-SRIF-14 binding in a manner which was consistent with the ligand binding to two sites. SRIF-14 and SRIF-28 displayed high affinity (pIC50 values of 7.8 and 7.3) for the remaining sites. Octreotide, L-362,855 and BIM-23056 were weak inhibitors of [125I]-Tyr11-SRIF-14 binding (pIC50 < 6.5). [125I]-BIM-23027 labelled a single population of SRIF binding sites in RDCM membranes and mouse fibroblast (Ltk-) cells stably expressing the human recombinant sst2 receptor. There was a significant correlation between the affinity estimates of a range of SRIF analogues at inhibiting [125I]-BIM-23027 binding in RDCM membranes and binding to the recombinant sst2 receptor in Ltk- cells, suggesting that the sites labelled by [125I]-BIM-23027 in RDCM are similar to the sst2 receptor. GTP gamma S (100 microM) decreased [125I]-BIM-23027 binding in RDCM by 60%. The results from these studies demonstrate that [125I]-Tyr11-SRIF-14 labels a heterogeneous population of high affinity SRIF binding sites in RDCM membranes. The majority of these sites are insensitive to GTP gamma S and display negligible affinity for the cyclic hexapeptides, BIM-23027 and seglitide. The remaining high affinity binding sites can be selectively labelled with [125I]-BIM-23027, are sensitive to GTP gamma S and show similar characteristics to the recombinant sst2 receptor which appears to mediate the antisecretory effects of SRIF in the mucosa (McKeen ES, Feniuk W, Humphrey PPA (1995) Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch Pharmacol 352:402-411).

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