M. Gué

Stress‐induced visceral hypersensitivity to rectal distension in rats: role of CRF and mast cells

Background: psychological factors have long been implicated in the aetiology of irritable bowel syndrome often associated with abdominal pain. This work was designed to study, in rats, the influence of partial restraint stress on the abdominal cramps induced by rectal distension and to determine the role of corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) and mast cells degranulation in this response. Methods: abdominal contractions were electromyographically recorded. Thirty minutes after stress or intracerebroventricular CRF, rectal distension was performed by inflation of a balloon (0.4–1.2 mL). α‐helical CRF9–41 or doxantrazole were administered centrally (15 min) and intraperitoneally (30 min), respectively, before stress. Histamine release and the number of mast cells were determined in colonic pieces from stressed and control rats. Results: stress and CRF enhanced the number of abdominal cramps evoked by rectal distension without affecting rectal compliance. α‐helical CRF9–41 and doxantrazole antagonized the stress and CRF‐induced enhancement of abdominal cramps. Stress increased the colonic histamine content whereas the number of colonic mast cells was unchanged. Conclusions: stress enhances abdominal contractions in response to rectal distension in rats via pathways involving central CRF and intestinal mast cells.

Conditioned emotional response in rats enhances colonic motility through the central release of corticotropin-releasing factor.

The effect of a mental stress model corresponding to conditioned fear on cecocolonic motility was evaluated electromyographically in intact and hypophysectomized rats equipped with electrodes implanted in the cecum and proximal colon over a long period and a small polyethylene catheter inserted into the right lateral ventricle of the brain. Intact fasted and fed rats showed an increase of 82.3% and 67.2%, respectively, in colonic spike-burst frequency when placed for 30 minutes in a box in which they had previously received electrical shocks in their feet. Intracerebroventricular administration of corticotropin-releasing factor (0.5 micrograms/kg) mimicked the effects of mental stress and increased cecocolonic spike-burst frequency by 75.8%. The specific corticotropin-releasing factor receptor antagonist alpha-helical CRF9-41 given intracerebroventricularly (5 micrograms/kg) prevented both the effects of mental stress and corticotropin-releasing factor (0.5 micrograms/kg intracerebroventricularly) on colonic spike-burst frequency. In contrast, diazepam (0.5 mg/kg IM) suppressed colonic hypermotility induced by mental stress but not that resulting from intracerebroventricular injection of corticotropin-releasing factor (0.5 micrograms/kg). Increased colonic spike-burst frequency induced either by stress or by central administration of corticotropin-releasing factor was not prevented by hypophysectomy. It was concluded that mental stress increases the frequency of cecocolonic spike-burst activity and that these effects are related to the central release of corticotropin-releasing factor because they are blocked by a corticotropin-releasing factor antagonist and reproduced by intracerebroventricular administration of corticotropin-releasing factor. Moreover, mental stress-induced colonic motor alterations are mediated by the autonomic nervous system rather than by the hypothalamopituitary axis because they are not abolished by hypophysectomy.

Influence of acoustic stress by noise on gastrointestinal motility in dogs

The effects of acoustic stress (AS) on gastrointestinal motility and their prevention by previous treatment with naloxone, phentolamine, propranolol, muscimol, and diazepam were investigated in intact and vagotomized fasted dogs fitted with chronically implanted strain gauges on the antrum at 10 cm from pylorus and on the jejunum at 70 and 140 cm from the pylorus. These effects were compared to those produced by intracerebroventricular administration of ovine corticotropin releasing factor (oCRF). Beginning 40–50 min after the occurrence of a gastric migrating motor complex (MMC), a 1-hr hearing of prerecorded intense music through earpieces (<100 dB) delayed the occurrence of the next gastric MMC observed after 2.8±1.2 hr, while jejunal MMC were still present at a normal frequency. During AS, heart rate and plasma cortisol were significantly increased by 32.7 and 215%, respectively, 10–15 min after the beginning of hearing. The AS-induced lengthening of the gastric MMC cycle as well as cortisol increase were abolished after previous administration of diazepam (0.5 mg/kg intramuscular) or muscimol (10 μg/kg intravenous), while they were still present after naloxone (0.1 mg/kg intravenous), phentolamine (0.2 mg/kg intravenous), or propranolol (0.1 mg/kg intravenous). CRF administered intracerebroventricularly (100 ng/kg) also delayed the occurrence of gastric MMC without affecting jejunal motility, and this effect was not antagonized by previous treatment with diazepam or muscimol. Both the effects of AS and CRF were abolished after bilateral thoracic vagotomy. These results suggest that the selective inhibition of gastric motility induced by noise in dog is due to the CNS release of CRF which affects, in turn, the vagal output to the stomach. The suppressive action of diazepam or GABA agonist on noise-induced gastric hypomotility may be related to blockade of the AS-induced CRF release.

Evidence for the involvement of corticotropin-releasing factor in the gastrointestinal disturbances induced by acoustic and cold stress in mice

The influence of acoustic (AS) and cold (CS) stress on gastric emptying and intestinal transit were evaluated in mice using a radiolabelled 51chromium test meal. AS was produced by playing music through loudspeakers (less than 86 dB) in a confined box at room temperature (20 degrees C) and CS was obtained by exposure to 10 degrees C. Twenty minutes exposure to AS or CS caused a significant (P less than 0.05) increase in gastric emptying in mice. Intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of 150 ng of rat corticotropin-releasing factor (rCRF), 30 min before the test meal, also increased gastric emptying but neither intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of rCRF at the same dosage nor corticosterone (300 ng) and ACTH (375 microU) were able to induce significant changes in gastric emptying. The increase in gastric emptying induced by AS and CS and by i.c.v. injection of rCRF were blocked by previous i.p. administration of an antiserum against rCRF. These findings strongly support the hypothesis that alterations in gastric emptying induced by AS and CS in mice are due to the release of CRF acting directly on central structures involved in the control of gastrointestinal motility.

The κ agonist fedotozine modulates colonic distention-induced inhibition of gastric motility and emptying in dogs

BACKGROUND/AIMS Gastric motor disturbances, associated with a delay in gastric emptying, occur in patients with the irritable bowel syndrome. The influence of fedotozine and kappa agonists on the cologastric reflex produced by nonpainful colonic distention was evaluated in conscious dogs. METHODS Colonic distention was applied in dogs fitted with either strain gauges or gastric cannula to assess its influence on gastrointestinal motility and gastric emptying, respectively. RESULTS Colonic distention delayed the occurrence of gastric migrating motor complex by 141%, an effect blocked by intravenous fedotozine, U 50,488 (25 and 50 micrograms/kg), and hexamethonium (0.5 mg/kg) but not by D-Ala2, N-methyl, Phe4, Gly5-ol enkephalin (1, 5, and 10 micrograms/kg), granisetron (50 and 100 micrograms/kg), or bretylium tosylate (5 mg/kg). Nor-binaltorphimine hydrochloride (1 mg/kg intravenously) eliminated the suppressive action of fedotozine. Colonic distention reduced the 1-hour gastric emptying of solids by 40.1%, an effect blocked by fedotozine and U 50,488 (50 and 100 micrograms/kg); nor-binaltorphimine hydrochloride (1 mg/kg) antagonized the blocking effect of fedotozine. CONCLUSIONS Fedotozine acts through kappa receptors to block the colonic distention-induced delay on gastric motility and emptying. The cologastric reflex involves nicotinic ganglionic receptors but not adrenergic pathway and 5-hydroxytryptamine 3 receptors.

Involvement of central dopamine and D1 receptors in stress-induced colonie motor alterations in rats

The role of central versus peripheral influence of dopamine (DA) in the genesis of emotional stress (ES) induced by fear to receive electric footshocks on colonic motility was evaluated in rats equipped with implanted electrodes on the proximal colon. In control rats, the frequency of colonic spike bursts increased from 7.5 +/- 1.9 to 16.0 +/- 2.1 per 10 min when the rats were placed in a test box where they had previously received electric footshocks. This increase induced by ES was significantly p less than 0.05, reduced by previous ICV or IP administration of (+)SCH 23390 (a D1 receptor antagonist) at doses of 10 and 100 micrograms/Kg, respectively. Although sulpiride (a D2 antagonist) injected ICV or IP at similar doses had no effect on the ES-induced increase in the frequency of colonic spike bursts. DA (100 micrograms/kg), and the selective D1 (SKF 38383) or D2 (quinpirole) receptor agonist injected ICV at a dose of 5 micrograms/kg also increased significantly by 48.7, 54.8, and 68.7%, respectively, the colonic spike burst frequency whereas they are inactive when injected IP at similar and higher doses. These results suggest that, in rats, (a) emotional stress stimulates colonic motility through the stimulation of dopaminergic neurons involving D1 receptors and (b) exogenous activation of central D1 and D2 receptors similarly stimulate colonic motility by increasing the occurrence of colonic spike bursts.

Opposite effects of κ-opioid agonists on gastric emptying of liquids and solids in dogs

Abstract The influence of oral (p.o.) administration of κ-(U-50488, tifluadom) and μ- (morphine, DAGO) opioid substances on gastric emptying of liquids and solids in a standard canned dog food meal was evaluated using a double-radiolabeled technique in dogs fitted with gastric cannulas. One hour after feeding, 28.6% ± 3.6% (mean ± SD) of the solid phase and 27.1% ± 8.6% of the liquid phase of the meal had been emptied. Both U-50488 and tifluadom given orally (0.01–0.1 mg/kg) significantly increased (p

Cholecystokinin blockade of emotional stress- and CRF-induced colonic motor alterations in rats: role of the amygdala

Intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and emotional stress (ES) induce stimulation of colonic motility in rats, an effect blocked by i.c.v. injection of CCK-8s. This study examined in rats the contribution of the central nucleus of the amygdala (CA) in the blocking effect of CCK-8s on ES and CRF-induced colonic hypermotility. CRF (500 ng/kg, i.c.v.) induced a 73.5% increase in colonic spike burst frequency. Bilateral infusions of 1, 5, 10 and 20 ng/kg of CCK-8s in the CA region 10 min prior to CRF i.c.v. injection reduced, in a dose related manner, the CRF-induced stimulation of colonic motility. A 109% increase in colonic spike burst frequency was observed in rats placed in a test cage in which they had previously received electric footshocks (ES). CCK-8s and A-71623, a selective CCK-A receptor agonist, (10, 25 and 50 ng/kg) infused bilaterally into the CA, 30 min before ES, significantly reduced this stimulatory effect, while CCK-4 and A-63387, a selective CCK-B receptor agonist (10, 25 and 50 ng/kg), had no effect on such a response. CA lesions by ibotenic acid did not affect ES-induced increase in colonic spike activity. However, CCK-8s (50 ng/kg) microinfused into CA lesioned rats was unable to block the ES-induced stimulation of colonic motility, while CCK-8s i.c.v. injected (100 ng/kg) is still active on the colonic response to ES. These results suggest that CA is a site of interaction of CCK-8s with CRF to block the colonic response to stress and that these effects involve the CCK-A receptor subtype.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Diazepam and muscimol blockade of the gastrointestinal motor disturbances induced by acoustic stress in dogs

The influence of various drugs on the gastric motor inhibition induced by acoustic stress (AS) was investigated in fasted dogs fitted with strain-gauge transducers implanted on the antrum and proximal jejunum at 10 and 80 cm from the pylorus respectively. Started 40-50 min after the last gastric migrating motor complex (MMC), a 1 h acoustic stress delayed by 75% the occurrence of the next gastric but not jejunal MMC and was associated with a 4-fold increase in plasma cortisol. This AS-induced inhibition of the gastric MMC cycle was abolished after previous administration of diazepam (0.2 and 0.5 mg/kg i.m.) or muscimol (10 micrograms/kg i.v.) and partially reduced by a lower dose of diazepam (0.1 mg/kg i.m.); in contrast, it was still present after either naloxone (0.1 mg/kg i.m.), phentolamine (0.2 mg/kg i.v.) or propranolol (0.1 mg/kg i.v.) treatment. This selective benzodiazepine or GABA agonist blockade of noise-induced gastric motor alteration supports the hypothesis that release of CRF may be responsible for the gastrointestinal motor effects induced by acoustic stress.

Comparative involvement of 5-HT1, 5-H2 and 5-HT3 receptors in stress-induced colonic motor alterations in rats

The role of 5-HT1, 5-HT2 and 5-HT3 receptors in the genesis of colonic motor alterations induced by emotional stress was evaluated in rats equipped with implanted nickel/chrome electrodes on the proximal colon and a catheter into the lateral ventricle of the brain. In control rats the frequency of colonic spike bursts increased from 7.6 +/- 1.3 to 16.8 +/- 1.3 per 10 min when the rats were placed in a test cage in which they had previously received electric footshocks. I.p. injection of methysergide (0.1 mg/kg) reduced by 54% the emotional stress-induced increase of colonic spike burst frequency, while a higher dosage (1 mg/kg) of methysergide had no effect. The i.p. injection of ketanserin (a 5-HT2 receptor antagonist, 0.1 and 1 mg/kg) or granisetron (a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, 0.1 and 1 mg/kg) had no effect on emotional stress-induced colonic hyperkinesia. The i.p. injection of the 5-HT1A receptor agonists, buspirone (1 mg/kg) or 8-OH-DPAT (8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino(tetralin) (0.05 and 0.1 mg/kg) or benzodiazepine (clonazepam, 1 mg/kg) significantly reduced or suppressed the emotional stress-induced increase of colonic spike bursts. Injected i.c.v., buspirone, but not 8-OH-DPAT, also reduced the emotional stress-induced hyperkinesia. Pretreatment with devazepide receptor (1 microgram/kg) antagonized the inhibitory effects of buspirone and 8-OH-DPAT injected i.p. on emotional stress-induced colonic hyperkinesia but did not alter the effects of clonazepam (1 mg/kg).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)