Zhao, Aiping, and Terez Shea-Donohue. PAR-2 agonists induce contraction of murine small intestine through neurokinin receptors. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 285: G696-G703, 2003. First published June 11, 2003 10.1152/ajpgi.00064.2003.-Protease-activated receptor-2 (PAR-2) is a G protein-coupled receptor and is expressed throughout the gut. It is well known that PAR-2 participates in the regulation of gastrointestinal motility; however, the results are inconsistent. The present study investigated the effect and mechanism of PAR-2 activation on murine small intestinal smooth muscle function in vitro. Both trypsin and PAR-2-activating peptide SLIGRL induced a small relaxation followed by a concentration-dependent contraction. The sensitivity to trypsin was greater than that to SLIGRL (EC50 ϭ 0.03 vs. 40 M), but maximal responses were similar (12.3 Ϯ 1.6 vs. 13.7 Ϯ 1.3 N/cm 2 ). Trypsinevoked contraction (1 M) exhibited a rapid desensitization, whereas the desensitization of response to SLIGRL was less even at high concentration (50 M). Atropine had no effect on PAR-2 agonist-induced contractions. In contrast, TTX and capsaicin significantly attenuated those contractions, implicating a neurogenic mechanism that may involve capsaicinsensitive sensory nerves. Furthermore, contractions induced by trypsin and SLIGRL were reduced by neurokinin receptor NK1 antagonist SR-140333 or NK2 antagonist SR-48968 alone or were further reduced by combined application of SR-140333 and SR-48968, indicating the involvement of neurokinin receptors. In addition, desensitizing neurokinin receptors with substance P and/or neurokinin A decreased the PAR-2 agonist-evoked contraction. We concluded that PAR-2 agonists induced a contraction of murine intestinal smooth muscle that was mediated by nerves. The excitatory effect is also dependent on sensory neural pathways and requires both NK1 and NK2 receptors. mouse; protease-activated receptor; trypsin PROTEASE-ACTIVATED RECEPTORS (PARs) are a novel subclass of the seven-transmembrane-spanning, G protein-coupled receptors. Rather than being stimulated through ligand receptor occupancy, PARs are activated by a unique mechanism that involves recognition of the receptor by a protease, cleavage of the receptor at a specific enzymatic site located at the extracellular NH 2