The influence of blood flow and water net flux on the blood-to-lumen flux of tritiated water in the jejunum of the rat

PGE-release, blood flow and transmucosal water movement after mechanical stimulation of the rat jejunal mucosa

1. The influence of weak mechanical stimulation of the jejunal mucosa in vivo on PGE-release, on intestinal blood flow and transmucosal water movement was studied in rats. 2. Mechanical stimulation of the mucosa increased PGE-release into the venous outflow and into the gut lumen. This increase is followed by an increase in intestinal blood flow and transmucosal movement of tritiated water in both directions. 3. Pretreatment of the rat with indomethacin reduced the effect of mechanical stimulation on PGE-release. Indomethacin further reduced the increase in blood flow and in secretion of tritiated water. Absorption of tritiated water was not changed in these experiments. 4. Pretreatment of the rat with atropine (1 mg/kg, i.p.) or perfusion of the gut with methysergide (10 microgram/ml) did not influence the increase in intestinal blood flow after mechanical stimulation. 5. It is suggested that enhanced intestinal blood flow and transmucosal movement of tritiated water after mechanical stimulation are mainly provoked by a preceding release of PGE. 6. It is further supposed that such a mechanism may be physiologically involved in regulation of intestinal blood flow and transmucosal water movement during food intake.

The function of prostaglandins in transmucosal water movement and blood flow in the rat jejunum

1. Jejunal loops of anaesthetized rats were perfused with isotonic buffer containing PGE1, PGF2alpha or indomethacin. Intestinal blood flow, absorption and secretion of tritiated water were measured. 2. PGE1 at the low concentration of 0.1 microgram ml-1 did not influence intestinal blood flow but increased secretion and decreased absorption of tritiated water. In higher concentrations (0.5 and 6.5 microgram ml-1), blood flow, secretion and absorption were enhanced. 3. PGF2alpha, even in the high concentration of 50 microgram ml-1, did not influence intestinal blood flow but enhanced secretion and decreased absorption of tritiated water. 4. Indomethacin (1 microgram ml-1) decreased intestinal blood flow and secretion but enhanced absorption of tritiated water. 5. The effects of indomethacin on blood flow can be prevented and those on secretion can be even reversed by an additional infusion of PGE1 (0.5 microgram ml-1). 6. PGs appear to play a physiological role in the regulation of intestinal blood flow and transmucosal water movement, since inhibition of endogenous PG synthesis by indomethacin results in effects opposite to those of intraluminally applied PGE1. The results obtained with the low concentration of PGE1 (0.1 microgram ml-1) and with PGF2alpha (50 microgram ml-1) strongly indicate that intestinal water movement can be changed independently of intestinal blood flow.