Endogenous CCK is not involved in the regulation of interdigestive gastrointestinal and gallbladder motility in conscious dogs

The peptide hormone xenin induces gallbladder contractions in conscious dogs

Xenin is a 25-amino acid peptide isolated from human gastric mucosa. The biological activities of xenin include modulating intestinal motility and affecting exocrine pancreatic secretion and gastric acid secretion. The physiological effect of xenin on the gastrointestinal tract, however, is incomplete. The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of xenin on the gastrointestinal tract motility of conscious dogs. Gastrointestinal tract and gallbladder contractions were monitored by chronically implanted force transducers. Synthetic xenin was injected intravenously during the interdigestive state with or without pretreatment with cholinergic blockers. The effects of xenin following cholecystectomy and truncal vagotomy were also investigated. Xenin induced gallbladder and jejunal contractions, although a dose-dependent response was shown only with gallbladder contractions. These effects were inhibited by pretreatment with cholinergic blockers, but were not enhanced by truncal vagotomy. The jejunal contractions were completely inhibited by cholecystectomy. The only direct effect of xenin in terms of gastrointestinal motility was to induce gallbladder contractions in conscious dogs. The neural pathway mediating xenin's action was cholinergic, but not the vagal. This novel finding indicates a new role of xenin.

Effect of L364718 on interdigestive pancreatic exocrine secretion and gastroduodenal motility in conscious sheep

The present study examined roles of endogenous cholecystokinin (CCK) and CCK-A receptors in the regulation of pancreatic exocrine secretion and gastroduodenal motility in conscious sheep during interdigestive period. Interdigestive exocrine secretion of ovine pancreas changed cyclically corresponding with cycle of duodenal migrating myoelectric complexes (MMC). During second phase of the duodenal MMC, intravenous injection of L364,718 at 2.45 mumol kg-1 inhibited exogenous CCK-8-induced pancreatic exocrine secretion. Intravenous infusion of the antagonist at 2.45 mumol kg-1/5 min for 5 min also inhibited significantly the pancreatic enzyme secretion without CCK-stimulation to half of that in the control, but not the fluid and bicarbonate secretion. Atropine infusion (i.v.) at 72.0 nmol kg-1/5 min significantly inhibited not only enzyme but also fluid and bicarbonate secretion. Corresponding to the inhibition of the exocrine secretion, L364,718 induced premature phase III in duodenal electromyogram (EMG) in three of the five sheep. Omasal EMG was inhibited slightly but significantly by L364,718, however, neither regular ruminal contractions nor abomasal EMG were altered by L364,718. In contrast, the atropine infusion inhibited only amplitude of ruminal contractions. These results suggest that endogenous CCK contributes to the regulation of interdigestive pancreatic exocrine secretion, omasal contractions and duodenal MMC in the ovine gastrointestinal tract via CCK-A receptors.