No abstract

The intestinal peristaltic reflex can be elicited by mucosal stimulation or circular muscle stretch. Muscle stretch activates extrinsic, whereas mucosal stimulation activates intrinsic calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)-containing sensory neurons. The present study examined the role of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) in sensory transmission. A three-compartment preparation of rat colon was used that enables separate measurement of sensory transmitters and modulators. Mucosal stimuli (2-8 brush strokes) caused concurrent increase in 5-HT and CGRP release in proportion to the intensity of stimulation. Release of both 5-HT and CGRP occurred exclusively into the central compartment where the stimuli were applied. Exogenous 5-HT caused a concentration-dependent release of CGRP. Release of CGRP induced by exogenous 5-HT or mucosal stimulation was inhibited by selective 5-HT4 and 5-HT1p antagonists but was not affected by 5-HT1A, 5-HT2, and 5-HT3 antagonists. Ascending contraction and descending relaxation of circular muscle measured in the peripheral orad and caudad compartments, respectively, were also selectively inhibited by 5-HT4 and 5-HT1p antagonists added to the central but not peripheral compartments. In contrast, muscle stretch elicited CGRP but not 5-HT release; the ascending contraction and descending relaxation components of the peristaltic reflex induced by muscle stretch were not affected by 5-HT antagonists. We conclude that 5-HT released by mucosal stimulation initiates the peristaltic reflex by activating 5-HT4/5-HT1p receptors on sensory CGRP-containing neurons.

The source of nitric oxide (NO) and its role in neurally induced relaxation was examined in smooth muscle of the stomach and tenia coli. Field stimulation of gastric muscle strips was accompanied by frequency-dependent relaxation, vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) release, and NO production: the NO synthase inhibitor, NG-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA) completely inhibited NO production and partly inhibited VIP release (52-54%) and relaxation (58-88%); inhibition of all three functions was reversed by L-arginine but not by D-arginine. In isolated gastric muscle cells, VIP caused relaxation and stimulated NO production: L-NNA completely inhibited NO production and partly inhibited relaxation; the inhibition was reversed by L-arginine but not by D-arginine. Abolition of NO production with only partial inhibition of relaxation implied that NO production from muscle cells induced by the action of VIP was partly responsible for relaxation. By contrast, field stimulation of tenia coli was accompanied by relaxation and VIP release but not by NO production. Neither VIP release nor relaxation was affected by L-NNA. In isolated muscle cells of tenia coli, VIP caused relaxation but did not stimulate NO production; relaxation in these cells was not affected by L-NNA. We conclude that 1) VIP is the primary relaxant transmitter in both gastric muscle and tenia coli, 2) the release of VIP in gastric muscle but not in tenia coli stimulates NO production from target muscle cells, and 3) NO amplifies the relaxant effect of VIP in muscle cells and acts presynaptically to enhance the release of VIP.

In gastrointestinal smooth muscle, the neuropeptides vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) induce relaxation by interacting with VIP2/PACAP3receptors coupled via Gs to adenylyl cyclase and with distinct receptors coupled via Gi1 and/or Gi2 to a smooth muscle endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). The present study identifies the receptor as the single-transmembrane natriuretic peptide clearance receptor (NPR-C). RT-PCR and Northern analysis demonstrated expression of the natriuretic peptide receptors NPR-C and NPR-B but not NPR-A in rabbit gastric muscle cells. In binding studies using125I-labeled atrial natriuretic peptide (125I-ANP) and125I-VIP as radioligands, VIP, ANP, and the selective NPR-C ligand cANP(4–23) bound with high affinity to NPR-C. ANP, cANP-(4–23), and VIP initiated identical signaling cascades consisting of Ca2+ influx, activation of eNOS via Gi1 and Gi2, stimulation of cGMP formation, and muscle relaxation. NOS activity and cGMP formation were abolished (93 ± 3 to 96 ± 2% inhibition) by nifedipine, pertussis toxin, the NOS inhibitor, N G-nitro-l-arginine, and the antagonists ANP-(1–11) and VIP-(10–28). NOS activity stimulated by all three ligands in muscle membranes was additively inhibited by Gi1 and Gi2 antibodies (82 ± 2 to 84 ± 1%). In reconstitution studies, VIP, cANP-(4–23), and guanosine 5′- O-(3-thiotriphosphate) stimulated NOS activity in membranes of COS-1 cells cotransfected with NPR-C and eNOS. The results establish a unique mechanism for G protein-dependent activation of a constitutive NOS expressed in gastrointestinal smooth muscle involving interaction of the relaxant neuropeptides VIP and PACAP with a single-transmembrane natriuretic peptide receptor, NPR-C.

Recent studies suggest that muscle stretch and mucosal stimulation elicit intestinal peristalsis by activating distinct populations of sensory neurons that converge on the same population of enteric motor neurons. The present study sought to characterize the origin and projections of these sensory neurons. The reflex was elicited by applying muscle stretch and mucosal stroking to the central compartment of a three-compartment flat-sheet preparation of rat colon while ascending contraction and descending relaxation were measured in the orad and caudad compartments, respectively. Identical graded responses were elicited by muscle stretch and mucosal stimulation: atropine (1 microM) and the tachykinin antagonist spantide (10 microM) inhibited ascending contraction when added to the orad compartment only, while the vasoactive intestinal peptide antagonist VIP10–28 (10 microM) and the NO synthase inhibitor NG-nitro-L-arginine (100 microM) inhibited descending relaxation when added to the caudad compartment only. Addition of capsaicin (1 microM) to the central compartment for 30 min abolished ascending contraction and descending relaxation elicited by muscle stretch and mucosal stimulation. Recovery of response was complete when capsaicin was applied to the mucosa of the colon in situ and measurements made 1 d after, implying that at this low concentration capsaicin depleted sensory nerve terminals of their transmitter content.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)