Serotonin-containing epithelial cells in rat duodenum. II. Quantitative study of the effect of 5HTP administration

Intraduodenal serotonin elicits non-propagating spike potentials in the small intestine of the rat

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) is an endogenous signalling molecule capable of altering small intestinal motility. Serotonin is normally present in the intestinal lumen and released by enterochromaffin cells of the mucosal epithelium. We found that intraduodenal infusion of exogenous serotonin causes a dose-dependent myoelectric response in the smooth muscle of the small intestine in the conscious rat. The response consists of repetitive bursts of action potentials (RBAP) that are characterized as short bursts of non-propagative myoelectric spiking. RBAP occur intermittently and only during the first 15 min after intralumenal serotonin infusion. After the initial 15 min period, the frequency of RBAP declines, and the myoelectric pattern shifts to prolonged and continuous spiking, eliminating the interdigestive migrating myoelectric pattern. The effects of intralumenal serotonin are not replicated by parenteral or intraperitoneal infusion nor by intralumenal infusion of 5-hydroxytryptophan or 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid. The response to intralumenal serotonin was eliminated by several specific 5-HT receptor antagonists. On repeated intralumenal administration of serotonin, the RBAP response decreased demonstrating a decreased sensitivity of the muscle contraction on re-exposure to serotonin. We conclude that intralumenal infusion of serotonin can temporarily initiate specific small intestinal muscle events that are not generated by serotonin from other non-lumenal administration sites. We speculate that an afferent neuro-pathway is necessary for the induction of RBAP, since RBAP are not observed from in vitro muscle preparations.

Changes in serotonin levels and 5-HT receptor activity in duodenum of streptozotocin-diabetic rats

Few previous studies have discussed the changes in serotonin receptor activity in the small intestine of diabetic animals. Therefore, we examined serotonin content in duodenal tissue and dose-dependent effects of serotonin agonists and antagonists on the motor activity of ex vivo vascularly perfused duodenum of streptozotocin (STZ)-diabetic rats. Serotonin content was significantly increased in enterochromaffin cells but not altered in serotonin-containing neurons in STZ-diabetic rats. Motor activity assessed by frequency, amplitude, and percent motility index per 10 min of pressure waves was reduced in the duodenum of diabetic rats, and this reduction was reversed by insulin treatment. Serotonin dose dependently increased the motor activity in control rat duodenum but only a higher concentration of serotonin increased the motor activity in diabetic rats. The 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) receptor subtype 4 (5-HT(4)) antagonist SB-204070 dose dependently reduced motor activity in both control and diabetic rats, whereas the 5-HT(3) receptor antagonist azasetron, even at a higher concentration, failed to affect motor activity in diabetic rat duodenum but dose dependently reduced motor activity in control rat duodenum. These results suggest that 5-HT(3) receptor activity was impaired but 5-HT(4) receptor activity was intact in STZ-diabetic rat duodenum. Such an impairment of 5-HT(3) receptor activity may induce the motility disturbance in the small intestine of diabetes mellitus.

Effect of VIP and PACAP on basal release of serotonin from isolated vascularly and luminally perfused rat duodenum

The effect of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide-38 (PACAP-38), and PACAP-27 on the release of serotonin (5-HT) into the intestinal lumen and the portal circulation was studied by using in vivo isolated vascularly and luminally perfused rat duodenum. 5-HT levels were determined by HPLC. VIP, PACAP-38, and PACAP-27 reduced the luminal release of 5-HT but did not affect the vascular release of 5-HT. The inhibitory effect caused by VIP, PACAP-38, and PACAP-27 was not affected by either atropine, hexamethonium, TTX, or TTX plus ACh, but it was completely antagonized by the nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitor NG-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA). The VIP receptor antagonist VIP-(10-28) blocked the effects of VIP, PACAP-38, and PACAP-27. These results suggest that VIP and PACAP exert a direct inhibitory effect on the luminal release of 5-HT from the enterochromaffin (EC) cells via a common receptor site on the EC cells and that this effect is mediated by NO but not by cholinergic pathways. A single injection of TTX, atropine, or hexamethonium reduced the luminal release of 5-HT, whereas a single injection of VIP-(10-28) stimulated the luminal release of 5-HT and this effect was antagonized by atropine, hexamethonium, or TTX. These results suggest that EC cells may receive the direct innervation of cholinergic neurons as well as VIP and/or PACAP neurons, with the former exerting a tonic stimulatory influence and the latter exerting a tonic inhibitory influence on 5-HT release into the intestinal lumen.