Significance of changes of gastrointestinal peptides in blood and ileum of experimental spleen deficiency rats

AIM: To explore the mechanism of spleen deficiency (SD) by studying the relationship of gastro-intestinal peptides level and ileal electro-mechanical activity of SD rats and cold restrain rats.

METHODS: (1) spleen deficiency (SD) model was established by feeding Houpou:Zhishi: Dahuang in the ratio of 3:3:2, 3 ml/time, for 42 days. (2) The cold restrain stress model: Animals were restrained on grille and placed in a cool water at 18 °C for 3 h. (3) Substance P (SP) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) levels in all layers of initial part of ileum and blood in rats were measured by radioimmunoassays (RIA) while changes of electric activity and motility in ileum of rats were recorded with electrode and strain gauge.

RESULTS: SP levels in ileum and blood of experimental SD rats were significantly higher than that of the control groups (9.89 ± 5.65 vs 1.22 ± 1.18, P < 0.005, in ileum; 22.7 ± 3.95 vs 6.60 ± 1.47, P < 0.001, in blood) while the VIP levels of the SD rats were significantly lower than that of the controls (3.50 ± 2.01 vs 9.10 ± 4.91, P < 0.05, in ileum; 229.8 ± 62.4 vs 560.4 ± 151.3, P < 0.001, in blood). As compared with the controls, the average frequency of slow electric waves (21.3 ± 0.96 vs 18.2 ± 2.28, P < 0.05) and motility (21.5 ± 0.58 vs 18 ± 2.65, P < 0.005) of SD rats increased obviously and the frequency of fast waves of SD rat also increased. In spontaneous recovery cases, SP levels recovered significantly (compared with the SD groups, 2.99 ± 0.62 vs 9.89 ± 5.65, P < 0.001, in ileum; 14.4 ± 4.22 vs 22.7 ± 3.95, P < 0.001, in blood) but did not drop to normal. After the SD rats treated with Chinese herbs (Jiawei Sijun zi Tang), SP improved (compared with SD cases, 2.20 ± 1.25 vs 9.89 ± 5.65, (P < 0.001), in ileum; 10.7 ± 1.88 vs 22.7 ± 3.95, (P < 0.001), in blood) and VIP in blood also improved (compared with SD rats, 485.7 ± 229.0 vs 229.8 ± 62.4, P < 0.01) while the amplitude of motility decreased apparently (compared with the SD rats, 0.64 ± 0.096 vs 0.89 ± 0.15, P < 0.01). The ileal SP levels of cool stress didn’t change while the ileal VIP levels of cool stress became significantly lower than that of the control groups (2.87 ± 0.87 vs 9.10 ± 4.91, P < 0.01). The blood SP levels of cool stress were significantly higher (15.60 ± 1.83 vs 6.60 ± 1.47, P < 0.001) whereas the blood VIP levels of cool stress were significantly lower than that of the control group (153.4 ± 70.46 vs 560.4 ± 151.30, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION: Changes of SP and VIP levels in initial part of ileum and blood of SD rats and cool stress rats may be closely related to the gastrointestinal motility disorders presented in SD and cool stress rats. the Chinese herbs (Jiawei Sijun zi Tang) currently used have partially therapeutic effect.

[Method of recording intestine electric and motility activity with recording electrode superposition on strain gauge]

AIM

In order to decrease the destruction on the intestine wall, increase the same pace of the recording electric and mechanic activity and make the method simple during recording of intestine activity.

METHODS

Silver ball electrode was held upon the strain gauge plate by silica gel which was a 2 mm 5 mm 9 mm recording device to be sewed only through the four corner point on to the intestine.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

It had little destruction on the intestine and was more easy and the recording electric activity was in almost the same pace of the motion.

[Gastroelectric activity and gastric motility in experimental spleen deficiency rats]

Using electrode and highly sensitive strain sensor to record alterations of gastroelectric activity and gastric motility, during experimental Spleen Deficiency (SD) rats was conducted. As compared with control, frequency of slow wave (time/3 min) did not obviously change (11.71 +/- 0.71 and 12.50 +/- 0.55, P < 0.05), but amplitude (mV) of which reduced significantly (0.14 +/- 0.05 and 0.37 +/- 0.04, P < 0.01), while that of fast wave also decreased. In self-recovered group, the amplitude of slow wave recovered slightly (0.22 +/- 0.08 and 0.37 +/- 0.04, P > 0.005). After treatment with modified Sijunzi Tang ([symbol: see text]), the gastric activities of SD rats elevated to levels of control (P > 0.05), but gastric motility remained weak in SD group. Although the motility of self-recovered group improved to a certain degree, however, the main indices had no significant difference from SD group (P > 0.05). It suggested that there were significant changes of gastric activity in SD and Chinese herbs could improve the syndrome apparently.

Muscarinic receptors in vagal routes to the biliary system in dogs

Although muscarinic receptor subtypes in the biliary system have been characterized, those in the vagal routes have not. This study was performed to characterize the muscarinic receptors in the vagal routes to the biliary system. The effects of four types of muscarinic antagonists, pirenzepine, AF-DX 116, p-F-HHSiD, and atropine, on excitatory responses in the gallbladder and sphincter of Oddi induced by electrical stimulation of the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV) were studied in cervical cord-transected anesthetized dogs. Atropine 10 micrograms/kg and over and p-F-HHSiD 50 micrograms/kg and over significantly decreased the excitatory responses in both effectors, but it required a high dose of AF-DX 116 (1-2 mg/kg) to reduce those responses. Pirenzepine (50-300 micrograms/kg) significantly decreased the excitatory response in the gallbladder, but not that in the sphincter of Oddi. A high dose of atropine (0.5 mg/kg) abolished the gallbladder response, whereas a slight excitatory response remained in the sphincter. With the exception of pirenzepine, there was no significant difference in the effects of the three muscarinic blockers on the gallbladder response and sphincter response after reduction of the mean value of the atropine resistant responses from those of the sphincter responses after the muscarinic blockers. These results indicate that the excitatory vagal routes to the gallbladder include at least M1 receptors and those to the sphincter of Oddi may include M3 receptors.